Joyce Nicholson (née Thorpe) (1919-) is an Australian author, business woman and a significant contributor to an Australian political organisation, the Women's Electoral Lobby.
The daughter of Publisher D.W. Thorpe, Nicholson was born in Melbourne and educated at Methodist Ladies' College and the University of Melbourne. She has been active in the women's movement as one of the founding members of the Woman's Electoral Lobby and Sisters Publishing.She was a significant influence in the Australian publishing industry for many years as managing director, and later sole owner, of D.W. Thorpe Pty Ltd (from 1968 to 1987 when the firm was sold). She is the author of over 25 books, many of them dealing with children and women. She married Harvey Nicholson and had four children: Peter, Hilary, Wendy, and Michael.
Joyce has sponsored a major collection of books by and about Australian women, the Joyce Thorpe Nicholson Collection at Melbourne University. It includes rare nineteenth century material, as well as scarce twentieth-century political ephemera. Joyce sponsors the Helen Leonard award for contributions to the Women's Movement. An education foundation scholarship is named in honour of Joyce Nicholson and the Joyce Thorpe Nicholson Hall of Fame Award is presented annually by the Australian publishers association.
Nicholson, Joyce, How to play auction bridge, G.W. Green & Sons, [Melbourne], [193-], 23 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, How to play solo : complete guide to solo (solo whist), auction solo, three-handed solo, hints on bidding and play, scoring, illustrated hands, with special chapter for beginners who have never played cards of any kind, Gordon and Gotch (Wholesale distributors), Melbourne, [1945?], 64 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, The Way to Play - a book on strategies to win at the card Game Solo
Nicholson, Joyce, You can run a library, Australian Red Cross Society, [Melbourne?], 1948, 56 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, Our first overlander, Shakespeare Head Press, Sydney, 1956, 128 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, The Children's Party and Games Book, 1957 - Over 100 different games from the 1950s. Epworth Press
Nicholson, Joyce, Kerri and Honey, Lansdowne, Melbourne, 1962, 32 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, A mortar-board for Priscilla, Children's Library Guild of Australia, Melbourne, 1963, 121 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, Cranky - The baby Australian Camel, Lansdowne press, [Melbourne], 1983
Nicholson, Joyce, Why women lose at bridge, V. Gollancz in association with P. Crawley, London, 1985, 95 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, Man against mutiny : the story of Vice-Admiral Bligh, Lutterworth Press, London, c1961, 95 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, (compiled by ), Successful parties and social evenings, Gordon and Gotch [Distributor], Melbourne, [195-?], 64 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, and De Lisle, Gordon (photography by), Ringtail the possum, Lansdowne, [Melbourne], 1965, 32 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, & Leunig, Mary, 1950- (illustrated by), What society does to girls, Pitman (Australia),, Carlton, Vic., 1975, 70 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, & Max B. Miller (illustrations by), The little green tractor, Little Books Publishing House, Hawthorn,Vic, [1950]
Nicholson, Joyce, & McArdle, Brian (photography by), Sir Charles and the lyrebird, Lansdowne, Melbourne, 1966
Nicholson, Joyce, & Smith, L. H. (Leonard Hart), 1910- (photography by ), Woop the wombat, Lansdowne, [Melbourne], [1968], 32 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, & Smith, L. H. (Leonard Hart), 1910-, illus., Yap the penguin, Lansdowne, [Melbourne], 1967, 32 pp.
Nicholson, Joyce, & Thorpe, Daniel (Daniel Wrixon), 1889-1976., A life of books : the story of D.W. Thorpe Pty Ltd., 1921-1987, Courtyard Press, Middle Park, Vic., 2000, 326 pp. The story of DW Thorpe Publishers (Publishers of Australian Bookseller & Publisher). A Life of books is a chronicle not only of a family company that has been at the centre of the book trade in Australia since the 1920s, but equally, of the people, companies, associations, issues, debates, troubles and joys that have affected the industry.
Nicholson, Joyce, The Heartache of Motherhood, 1983 From the mother of 4 grown-up children. After 35 years of devoted marriage, she left the family home to live alone ... happily. This book is a deeply personal account of her feelings about being a mother; her honesty is extraordinary and very moving, her conclusions startling.
Nicholson, Joyce, The Women's Electoral Lobby and Women's Employment: Strategies and Outcomes, MA, Women's Studies, History, The University of Melbourne', MA thesis, The University of Melbourne, 1991, 118 pp.