Major-General Sir Robert Nickle, KH (12 August 1786 – 26 May 1855 ) was a commander of the forces in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Nickle was born at sea, the son of Robert Nicholl, an officer in the 17th Light Dragoons, and entered the army at an early age. He served with the

Connaught Rangers The Connaught Rangers ("The Devil's Own") was an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army formed by the amalgamation of the 88th Regiment of Foot (Connaught Rangers) (which formed the ''1st Battalion'') and the 94th Regiment of Foot (which ...

in various parts of the world for upwards of twenty-two years, seeing much hard service and winning great distinction for bravery. Nickle went to the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

in 1830, and was appointed Governor of

St. Christopher Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is venerated by several Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius (reigned 249–251) or alternatively u ...

and its dependencies. He served during the insurrection in British North America in 1838, and was knighted in 1844. In 1853 he was appointed commander of the forces in Australia, and during the

Eureka Rebellion The Eureka Rebellion was a series of events involving gold miners who revolted against the British administration of the colony of Victoria, Australia during the Victorian gold rush. It culminated in the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, which ...

of 1854 displayed great forbearance and tact. Coming on the scene shortly after the affair of the Eureka stockade, where Captain Thomas was in command of the Queen's troops, he induced the rioters to disperse without further bloodshed. Miner and diarist Charles Evans recorded the effect of Nickle's conduct as follows: :Sir Robert Nichol has taken the reins of power at the Camp. Already there is a sensible and gratifying deference in its appearance. The old General went round unattended to several tents early this morning & made enquiries from the diggers relative to the cause of the outbreak. It is very probable from the humane & temperate course he is taking that he will establish himself in the goodwill of the people. He was nearly seventy years of age at the time of his death, which occurred in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Victoria, Australia on 26 May 1855.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nickle, Robert 1786 births 1855 deaths 19th-century British Army personnel Connaught Rangers officers British Army generals People born at sea