William Grills Knight
William Grills Knight (23 January 1839 – 3 May 1903) was prominent businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Albany the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
Knight was born 23 January 1839[1] in Fremantle in Western Australia to Stephen Henry Knight who was a postmaster. The family moved to Albany the following year.[2]
He married Ann Augusta Knight (nee McKail) and togther they had four children.[3] In 1865 Knight was working as a farmer and grazier at Woodlands, a farm owned by the McKail family, 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]
References
- ^ a b "William Grills Knight". Great Southern Pioneers. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Death of Mr. W. G. Knight, J.P." Albany Advertiser. Albany, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 6 May 1903. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Knight, Ann Augusta (Gussie) (nee McKail) (1840 - 1904)". Australian National Herbarium. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "The rocks, Albany". Luxury Australia. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "The Rocks". Heritage Council of Western Australia. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Classified Advertising". The West Australian. Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 9 October 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Government Gazette". The Daily News. Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 13 August 1886. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "History". City of Albany. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Albany Town Hall, 217 York Street, corner Grey Street West". Albany Gateway. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Albany". The W.A. Record. Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 24 January 1889. p. 7. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "General News". The Daily News. Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 13 October 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "The Advertiser". Albany Advertiser. Albany, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 6 November 1897. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Country News". The Inquirer and Commercial News. Perth, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 13 January 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Advertising". Kalgoorlie Miner. Kalgoorlie, Western Australia: National Library of Australia. 28 July 1896. p. 1. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ Lorraine Larment (2008). "Albany Memorial Cemetery". Retrieved 26 December 2015.