McNicoll grew up in Melbourne, attending Scotch College and the RAN College, and entered the navy in 1922. He rose in rank and in 1958 was appointed Rear Admiral. In 1968 he was appointed Australia's first Ambassador to Turkey. His book of poems,
Sea Voices, was published when he was a young Lieutenant, and reflects his thoughts on the sea and on relationships often broken by the peripatetic life of the seafarer. He had previously had poems published in various journals, including
B.P. Quarterly and
Art in Australia. He also published a translation of poetry by Horace,
Odes of Horace (1979). He was the brother of
David McNicoll (q.v.).