William Grills Knight

William Grills Knight in 1897

William Grills Knight (23 January 1839  – 3 May 1903) was a prominent businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Albany in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

Knight was born 23 January 1839[1] in Fremantle, Western Australia to Stephen Henry Knight, a postmaster who had arrived on Parmelia in 1829 as one of the first settlers. The family moved to Albany the following year.[2]

He married Ann Augusta McKail and together they had four children.[3] In 1865 Knight was working as a farmer and grazier at Woodlands, a farm owned by John McKail, in the Porongurups.[1]

The Rocks, an iconic building in Albany, was built by Grills in 1882 as his residence. The building, now used as an exclusive hotel, is heritage listed.[4][5]

First elected in 1876 Knight then served as chairman from 1877 to 1879.[2] Knight remained on the council[6] and was elected as Mayor of Albany in 1886.[7]

While Mayor, Knight raised the required capital to build the Albany Town Hall in 1886,[8] which he later opened in 1888.[9] By 1889 Lancel Victor de Hamel was elected Mayor,[10] with Knight remaining on the council[11] until his re-election as Mayor in 1897.[12] He remained as Mayor until 1899 when C. M. McKenzie was elected to the position.[13]

In 1896, Knight and his son started a shipping and station agents business in Albany.[14]

Knight died in Albany on 4 May 1903 and was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery.[15]

  1. ^ a b "William Grills Knight". Great Southern Pioneers. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Death of Mr. W. G. Knight, J.P." Albany Advertiser. Albany, Western Australia. 6 May 1903. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Knight, Ann Augusta (Gussie) (nee McKail) (1840 - 1904)". Australian National Herbarium. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  4. ^ "The rocks, Albany". Luxury Australia. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  5. ^ "The Rocks". Heritage Council of Western Australia. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Classified Advertising". The West Australian. Perth. 9 October 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Government Gazette". The Daily News. Perth. 13 August 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "History". City of Albany. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Albany Town Hall, 217 York Street, corner Grey Street West". Albany Gateway. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Albany". The W.A. Record. Perth. 24 January 1889. p. 7. Retrieved 26 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "General News". The Daily News. Perth. 13 October 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "The Advertiser". Albany Advertiser. Albany, Western Australia. 6 November 1897. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Country News". The Inquirer and Commercial News. Perth. 13 January 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 26 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "Advertising". Kalgoorlie Miner. Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. 28 July 1896. p. 1. Retrieved 26 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ Lorraine Larment (2008). "Albany Memorial Cemetery". Retrieved 26 December 2015.