Arriving in Melbourne in 1853, Nicholls, along with contributing many articles for the Argus and the Australasian as "Henricus", edited a number of newspapers, including the Diggers Advocate (1853-1854), the Ballarat Star (1875-1880) and the Hobart Mercury (1880s). The H. R. Nicholls Society, dedicated to industrial relations reform, was named in his honour.