The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Joyce Nicholson was born in Melbourne, the daughter of publisher D.W. Thorpe. She was educated at Methodist Ladies College before completing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, where she was vice-president of the Student Representative Council. She has been active in the women’s movement, involved in early years with the Women’s Electoral Lobby (W.E.L.) and Sisters Publishing Ltd. She was Managing Director, and later sole owner, of D.W. Thorpe Pty Ltd from 1968 until 1987, when the firm was sold. She is the author of over 25 books, many of them written for children, others dealing with women’s issues.

Events

• 1968 - 1980

  Managing director and proprietor of D W Thorpe Pty Ltd (Melbourne), and editor, Australian Bookseller and Australian Books in Print

• 1974

  Founding member of the National Book Council

• 1972 - 1983

  Secretary and executive member of the Australian Library Promotion Council

• 1993

  Chief Executive Officer of Courtyard Press

• 1987 - 1992

  Chief Executive Officer of Jayen Press

• 1971 - 1974

  Editor of Newsletter for the Royal Historical Society of Victoria

• 1940

  Vice-president of the Student Representative Council at the University of Melbourne

• 1957

  Organizer of the first Children’s Book Week in Victoria

• 1943

  Married George Harvey Nicholson (dec.1980), they had 4 children

• 1998

  Recipient of the Lloyd O’Neil Award for services to the Book Industry

• 1935 - 1946

  Junior typist, secretary and sub-editor at D W Thorpe Pty Ltd (Melbourne)

• 1947 - 1968

  Writer and part-time work at D W Thorpe Pty Ltd (Melbourne)

• 1979 - 1980

  Co-founder and director of Sisters Publishing Ltd