John Nicholson, a prominent pioneer settler, established Newbury estate at Sutton Forest in c1822.
John joined the Royal Navy in 1804 being employed on board HMS Ariadne, off the coast of France. John arrived in NSW on 24 February 1817, and was appointed by Robert Campbell, of the Wharf, to the command of the brig Active, and took several missionary families to Tahiti. In the ship Hawse he distributed several other missionary families to various other islands, and took the first coffee plants to Norfolk Island, distributing them among the islanders.
Afterward Governor Macquarie appointed John as Master Attendant and Harbour Master of Port Jackson to commence in January 1821, a position he held until he was obliged to resign from due to ill health.
Chief Officer of the convict transport Lord Melville.
Shortly after this, Mr. Nicholson went to Newcastle, in company with Governor Macquarie and several officials, and there raised the ship Lady Nelson, which was sunk, for which service the Government gave him a grant of 700 acres at Sutton Forest, which he named “Newbury”.
John Nicholson died on January 9, 1863 at his property Newbury.
