KNIGHT, William (1828-1903) — Southampton, Melbourne & Brisbane
Map engraver, lithographer, draughtsman and photographer. Produced Thomas Ham, Plan of the city of Melbourne embracing Collingwood, South Melbourne and Sandridge 1854; G. P. Heath, Plan of Rodd’s Harbour 1867, with Ham; Ham, District of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Queensland 1868; T. R. Hacket, Map of the Gympie gold fields, Southern Queensland 1870; Sketch map of Cloudy Bay, British New Guinea 1889; Andrew Gibb Maitland, Geological sketch map of the Mackay district 1889; Rough sketch of 200 miles of the western portion of British New Guinea 1890; Map of the Egum Group, British New Guinea 1891, etc.
Born in Bermondsey 28 Feb 1828, a son of Thomas Knight, a wool-stapler, and his wife Charlotte Brooker. Knight was lodging in Southampton and working for the Ordnance Survey in 1851 with his fellow engraver James McKay. He subsequently emigrated to Australia, arriving in Victoria on the Hopewell 6 Feb 1853. He left Melbourne for Brisbane in 1861, joining up with Thomas Ham once more and specialising in photographic work. “Associated in business with Mr. Ham is Mr. William Knight, photographer, who brings with him a high reputation as a successful operator in every branch of the photographic art” (The Courier, 25 Jul 1861). He married Bertha Sarah Collings (1847-1929), Ham’s sister-in-law, 26 Nov 1868. Both men subsequently worked at the Government Printing Office, with Knight becoming Chief Engraver on Ham’s death in 1870. Knight retired in 1898 — “An illuminated address was on Saturday presented by the Government Printing Office employees to Mr. William Knight, chief engraver, who is retiring after thirty two years’ service” (The Queenslander, 31 Dec 1898). He died at his home in Bay View Terrace 27 Jul 1903 and was buried at Toowong Cemetery.
4 Onslow Road, Southampton — 1851
Collins Street, Melbourne — 1853-1861
Government Engraving & Lithographic Office, Brisbane — 1868-1898
Bay View Terrace, Eagle Junction, Brisbane, Queensland (home) — 1903
DAAO. Rod Fisher, “Boosting Brisbane : imprinting the colonial capital of Queensland”, 2009. NLA. Tooley. Trove