William Grills Knight

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]