Australia's first Aboriginal knight, Sir Douglas Nicholls, has been honoured during NAIDOC Week with Australia Post releasing a stamp to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his knighthood.
It comes after Nicholls' granddaughter Bev Murray wrote to Australia Post, requesting they acknowledge her grandfather's achievements.
Driven by the belief and desire for meaningful reconciliation, the Yorta Yorta man was a "cultural bridge builder" and prominent 20th century social justice and Aboriginal rights campaigner.
Nicholls' daughter Aunty Pamela Pedersen pictured with her father's commemorative stamp and statue.
He was the first Indigenous Australian to hold a vice-regal office after being appointed governor of South Australia in 1976, and played VFL football for Fitzroy from 1932 to 1937.
Nicholls, alongside wife Gladys, lobbied tirelessly for Indigenous rights in response to social justice issues and Aboriginal disadvantage for much of his adult life.
He co-founded the Australian Aborigines' League, which lobbied government for Aboriginal people to recognised under national law ahead of state law.
Nicholls was also instrumental leading up to the 1967 referendum, where his Victorian Aboriginal Advancement League consulted with government in relation to Aboriginal wellbeing and equality.
Sir Doug Nicholls during his VFL playing days at Fitzroy.
His efforts for Aboriginal recognition eventually lead to more than 90 per cent of Australians voting in favour of officially including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia's population and in support of creating Commonwealth laws relating to Indigenous Australians.
Preceding his knighthood, Nicholls received an Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to Aboriginal people in 1957 and was the first Indigenous Australian to receive an Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1968.
Nicholls received his first knighthood in 1972 for "distinguished services to the advancement of the Aboriginal people", before being raised to Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order after receiving a second knighthood five years later.
Nicholls has been recognised with many places named after him, such as Canberra's northern suburb and Victoria's northern electoral division.
The chapel in which he was baptised in Melbourne's northern suburb of Preston was also named in his honour in 2001.
Sir Doug Nicholls and wife Gladys Nicholls.
Nicholls is remembered in multiple ways in contemporary Australian public culture.
A commemorative statue of he, alongside wife Gladys, was unveiled to commemorate the centenary of his birth in Victoria's Parliament Gardens in 2007.
More recently in 2011, he was inducted to the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll.
In 2016 the AFL renamed its Indigenous round to Sir Doug Nicholls round, where all 18 teams wear Indigenous inspired guernseys.
Australia Posts' Sir Doug Nicholls commemorative stamps will be on sale until September of this year.
