[1][2] Nicholls was born on 21 February 1850 in Rundle Street, Adelaide to parents Samuel Bakewell, grocer, and his wife Mary Ann, née Pye.

[3] Her father Samuel and her uncle William both became members of the South Australian House of Assembly, providing her with some background in local politics.

An active member of the Archer Street Wesleyan church in North Adelaide, Nicholls taught Sunday School and distributed religious tracts.

She invested large amounts of effort in educating women on their political potential, speaking in numerous places on the basics of enrolling and voting, using her 'Platform of Principles'.

Nicholls moved into Willard House, the WCTU Adelaide headquarters and residence on Wakefield Street near Francis Xavier's Cathedral.