He was the son of Commander V.E.B. Nicholson. The Commander along with his wife, Desmond & their younger son Rodney, sailed into English Harbor, Antigua, in 1949. Soon they were introducing friends from England to the island's beautiful waters and splendid sailing - and the business of chartering was born.Desmond was passionately interested in the history of Nelson's Dockyard and instrumental in preserving its buildings and naval structures. He was a respected amateur archaeologist and a guiding force in the creation of The Dockyard Museum and Library. All of us who enjoy English Harbor, an unequalled site of British maritime heritage, are the beneficiaries of Desmond Nicholson's lifelong dedication. Desmond Nicholson arrived on Antigua on-board the family yacht, Mollihawk, a young man with a strong sense of adventure and humour. The family settled in the abandoned Dockyard and began to make a living by chartering their yacht to Mill Reefers and other interested parties. These were the formative years for Desmond and he soon developed a strong respect and love for the Islands and its people. He took numerous photographs and from these we can see that the beauty, pristine marine environment and the complex history and the Caribbean cultural landscape captured him. He soon dedicated his life towards the research, documentation and preservation of the Antiguan and Caribbean history and environment. Desmond has written over 56 books and major articles of which 25 books have so far been published and contributed to every issue of the Museum newsletter. Like most scholars, he collected books and Museum of Antigua Library was created from his personal collection, which now has over 6000 books and articles on file. After getting the Museum Library up and running, he began to rebuild and improve the collections in the Dockyard Library, adding hundreds of reference books on archaeology, naval and military history.