Sir Charles Nicholson and his book collections

Sir Charles Nicholson, first Chancellor of the University of Sydney, is known as a major benefactor of that institution both during his time in Australia (before 1862) and afterwards, up to and beyond his death in 1903. The paper looks first at the scattered records concerning the gifts and legacies of printed books and manuscripts. It then turns to the substantial library Nicholson dispersed at an auction sale in Melbourne in May 1861 and what can be discovered about 6,000 volumes bought by private collectors and by Victorian institutions.