Nichols Point

Nichols Point is a rural district in north-west Victoria, situated between the east side of Mildura and the Murray River. It is thought that the place was named after a pastoral station employee, John Nichols.

In 1887 the Chaffey brothers, irrigationists, were granted land at Mildura on condition that it be developed and sold within 20 years. Among their earliest works were the construction of pumping stations at Psyche Bend, Billabong and Nichols Point, and pumps were functioning by 1889. Farm blocks were taken up, and in 1892 the Nichols Point school was opened.

Nichols Point was a well known place for the pumping station until decommissioning in 1956, after which water has been supplied form a larger station at Mildura. Most farm blocks are irrigated for wine and dried grapes, but they are increasingly interspersed with housing. The school had 230 pupils in 1998, of whom some were from Mildura where school space was limited. A new school building was opened in 2007 and the enrolment in 2014 was 423.

Nichols Point has a general store, a hall and a Presbyterian church. Leisure accommodation is limited to private house boats at Bruces Bend. The Riverside golf course and the Mildura racecourse are at Nichols Point.

Nichols Point’s census populations have been: