Born in Cornwall in 1842 Cyprian Nicholls migrated to New Zealand arriving in Auckland on 17 January 1879. He initially traded as a coal and wood merchant in the Surrey Hills area, but in 1890 installed a general store and cordial manufacturing plant on the corner of Brown Street and Ponsonby Rd. He was joined in this endeavour by his step-son Robert Wallis (who later had his own company Hollis and Walls & Co).

In 1905 C Nicholls sold his coal and wood business to Eli Cleal and his cordial business to AC Scott and Co, a firm that would be amalgamated into the Wai Wai (Y-Y) grouping in 1918.

After the amalgamation of Scott, Y-Y and Wm Handley, some Nicolls bottles continued to be used by manufacturers in other districts using paper labels over the embossed Nicholls trademark.

Products (1893)

Lemonade, ginger ale orange ale, hop ale, soda water, cider and various other drinks.