Among the 213 passengers on the barque Dale Park departed London 16 Mar 1844 and Cork 31 Mar, arrived Port Phillip District of New South Wales on 21 Jul 1844 were Assisted Immigrants:
Robert NICHOLAS 29, Anna 28, (both could read & write) and their two children Elizabeth 3, and Walter Isaac 9 mos. Robert NICHOLAS was chosen to act as a constable on the voyage for which he received a gratuity of £2.
From 1844-46 Robert leased (with Henry JOHNSON) Oak Range in the Goulburn District. In 1858-59 these partners held the lease of Eglinton, a sheep property of 7000 acres in the Murray District. The Nicholas family later moved to Jerusalem Creek. [Florence Chuk in The Somerset Years, Government Assisted Emigrants from Somerset and Bristol who arrived in Port Phillip, Victoria 1839-1854, published 1987 by Pennard Hill Publications, p71]

Children of Robert NICHOLAS and Anna HANNAM:

1. Caroline NICHOLAS b 23 Mar 1841 (prob Horsington) Somerset.
Caroline NICHOLAS bp Somersetshire m 24 Apr 1884 at Clifton Vale, nr Alexandria, Joseph BROOKS bp Norfolk [Vic 2106] (Joseph was the widower of Caroline's sister Mary Ann who died in 1882. (Margaret Currie)
Caroline BROOKS d 14 Mar 1927 aged 85 yrs Dandenong d/o Robert NICHOLAS/Hanna Maria unk [Vic 1290]

2. Walter John NICHOLAS (known as John) b 6 Jul 1843 (prob Horsington) Somerset.
Walter John NICHOLAS d 1933 aged 90 yrs Murchison s/o Robert NICHOLAS/Ann unk [Vic 18350]
Walter John NICHOLAS m 1864 Sarah YOUNG [Vic 3761]

3. Anna Maria NICHOLS (NICHOLAS) b 1846 Goulburn d/o Robert/Ann, chr 1851 Holy Trinity C of E Pentridge (later Coburg) [ECR fiche 325, Vic R/N 20506]
Anna Maria ELLIOT d 1917 (MC)
Anna Maria NICHOLAS bp Dandenong m 1868 Torbreck Station, John William ELLIOTT bp Kent, England [Vic 1412]

4. Mary Ann NICHOLS (NICHOLAS) b 27 Jul 1847 Goulburn d/o Robert/Ann, chr 1851 Holy Trinity C of E Pentridge (later Coburg) [ECR fiche 325, Vic R/N 20507]
Mary Ann BROOKS d 7 Mar 1882 aged 33 yrs (no place) d/o Robert NICHOLAS/Ann SULTON [Vic 4005] bur Alexandra Cemetery.
Mary Ann NICHOLAS bp Victoria m 12 Jan 1869 Torbreck Station, Joseph BROOKS bp Norfolk, England [Vic 314]

5. Amelia NICHOLS (NICHOLAS) b 1850 Goulburn d/o Robert/Ann, chr 1851 Holy Trinity C of E Pentridge (later Coburg) [ECR fiche 325, Vic R/N 20508]
Amelia GILBERT d 1897 aged 48 yrs Alexandra d/o Robert NICHOLAS/Anna HANNAN [Vic 11036]
Amelia NICHOLAS bp Goulburn m 28 Oct 1866 Mc Kay's Hotel, Goulburn River, William Ford GILBERT bp Somersetshire, England [Vic 3274]

6. Jane Georgiana NICHOLAS (b abt 1852) d 1861 aged 9 yrs bp Vic d/o Robert NICHOLAS/Anna - [Vic 5284]

7. Robert Augustine NICHOLAS b 1854 Eglinton Station. (MC)
Robert Augustus NICHOLAS d 10 Dec 1895 aged 41 yrs Darlingford s/o Robert NICHOLAS/Ann HANAMAN [Vic 9341/1896]
Robert Augustine NICHOLAS bp Vic m 14 Oct 1878 Upper Thornton, Marietza BARNEWALL bp Vic [Vic 4436]
Marietza Agnes NICHOLAS (b abt 1852) d 1931 aged 79 yrs Northcote d/o John Alymer BAREWALL/Eleanor SAUNDERS [Vic 15821]
Birth of Marietza not found in Vic Birth Index and it seems that her birth abt 1852 was not recorded. Four of her sisters were: Catherine d/o John BARNWELL/Ellen SAUNDERS of Muddy Ck chr 1842 St Francis RC Melb [R/N 36641 ECR (Early Church Records) fiche 523 and R/N 446 ECR f 1091]. Another daughter, Eleanor was chr 1847 also of Muddy Creek, St Francis RC Melb [R/N 2207 ECR f 28 and R/N 39838 ECR f 542]. Barbara BARNWELL was chr at the same time in 1847, details are identical except for consecutive R/N 39837] In 1861 is recorded the civil registration of the birth of Fanny BARNWELL at Yea d/o John BARNWELL and Ellen SAUNDERS [Vic 15732]

Children of Robert Augustine NICHOLAS and Marietza BARNEWALL

8. Henry Thomas NICHOLAS b 11 Nov 1857 Eglinton Station. (MC)
Henry Thomas NICHOLAS d 10 Jun 1940 aged 83 yrs Alexandra s/o Robert NICHOLAS/unknown [Vic 16652]
Henry Thomas NICHOLAS bp Alexandra m 28 Oct 1887 Alexandra, Margaret Marietza NICHOL bp Upper Thornton [Vic 6639]
Margaret Maryetsy NICHOL b 1869 Jamieson d/o Andrew NICHOL/Margaret CRAIG [Vic 16196]
Margaret Maritza NICHOLAS (b abt 1870) d 1947 aged 77 yrs Alexandra d/o Andrew NICHOL/Margaret unknown [Vic 16003]

Children of Henry Thomas NICHOLAS and Margaret Marietza NICHOL

9. Gideon Charles NICHOLAS b 1859 Alexandra. (MC)
Gideon Charles NICHOLAS d 24 Dec 1939 aged 80 yrs St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy s/o Robert Squattin (indexing error, should be Augustine) NICHOLAS/Anna Maria HAMIN [Vic 9524]
Gideon Charles NICHOLAS bp Alexandra m 1884 Alexandra, Margaret Caroline FITZJOHN bp Victoria [Vic 174] (2 sons, 1 dau)
Margaret Caroline FITZJOHN b 1865 Jamieson d/o Samuel FITZJOHN/Bridget O'CONNELL [Vic 16010]
Margaret NICHOLAS d 1938 aged 73 yrs Ballarat d/o Samuel FITZJOHN/Bridget CONNELL [Vic 17573]
Margaret NICHOLAS aged 73 yrs, resident of Ballarat Benevolent Home, bur 25 Nov 1938 Ballarat New Cemetery [Benev 1 65R2]

Earlier research done by Jan Lindsay is acknowledged by Margaret Currie.