Nicholson Museum

Sir Charles Nicholson offered to donate his collection of antiquities to the University on certain conditions, which included that the Senate should provide suitable apartments for the reception, safe custody, and exhibition... of the various articles...and that some officer shall be appointed as curator... that a Standing Sub Committee of the Senate should be appointed... whose duty it would be to report on a stated day, once every year to

At the Senate Meeting on 7 December 1903 the Chancellor reported the death of Sir Charles Nicholson, the Senate adopted a resolution placing on record their sense of loss at his death, outlining his many contributions and benefactions to the university including ' \The Nicholson Museum of Antiquities, the valuable books, tapestries and other works of Art which he presented to the University.'

To comply with the conditions of the donation Senate at its meeting on 14 April 1880 resolved that a 'Standing Committee of Senate to be called the Nicholson Museum Committee be appointed in accordance with the donor's directions...'

detailed information on establishment of Museum and initial collections in M420: History of the Nicholson Museum by Catherine A. Lawler, Tolga Queensland 1997

Change of name from Museum of Antiquities to Nicholson Museum probably change of use over time apparently people also called the museum the Nicholsonian Museum see Lawler ms p 67 Edward Reeve's first catalogue of the collection "Catalogue of the Museum of Antiquities of the Sydney University" (1870) mentions 'the Museum of Antiquities...frequently designated in honour of its Patriotic and Liberal Founder..."The Nicholsonian Museum"

The name of the Museum appears in the University's By-Laws and Regulations as 'Museum of Antiquities' until 1903 and from 1904 onward as "Nicholson Museum of Antiquities'.

Major donations assisted the University in building a new purpose-built museum, The Chau Chak Wing Museum. When the Museum opened on 18 November 2020 it combined the collections of the Nicholson and Macleay museums as well as that as the University Art Gallery.