Michelle Nichols

Michelle Nichols has been occupied with family and local history for many years and has been employed as the Local Studies Librarian, Hawkesbury Library for over 30 years. She has had a fascination with history since a child and this interest led her to further studies including the Diploma in Family Historical Studies (SAG) 1984 and has also completed the Graduate Diploma of Local, Family & Applied History, and MA in history. Michelle is currently a Councillor with the Society of Australian Genealogists.

Michelle has run classes since the 1980s on various topics relating to family & local history, co-ordinates the Hawkesbury Family History Group and has been editor of their journal since 1983.  She has written a number of publications including Disastrous Decade : Flood & Fire in Windsor 1864-1874; Hawkesbury - Pictorial History and co-wrote Hawkesbury 1794-1994 and edited the Hawkesbury Pioneer Registers 1 & 2. She has written numerous magazine articles and regularly contributes a column for the local newspaper.

In 2001 Michelle received an OAM for her work on local history. She has researched her own family (convicts, as well as Irish, English and Welsh immigrants) as well as other peoples. She is presently working on several projects relating to the Hawkesbury. In her spare time she transcribes cemeteries and church registers for http://www.hawkesbury.net.au/ with her husband Jonathan Auld, fellow genealogist, IT specialist and web designer.