Lady Gladys Nicholls was a leading Aboriginal activist. Together with her husband, Pastor Sir Doug NIcholls, and along with many of her contemporaries, Lady Gladys worked to advance Aboriginal rights. Like so many Aboriginal activists, Lady Gladys was born on the Cummeragunga Mission. Her family was involved in the Cummeragunga Walk-Off in 1939 and moved to Melbourne. Fundraising was crucial to fighting for Aboriginal rights and like other resourceful women like Margaret Tucker and Geraldine Briggs, she was involved in various activities to raise money. Lady Gladys opened a number of successful opportunity shops around Fitzroy to help raise funds and she worked for the establishment of the hostel to provide a safe place for Aboriginal youth.