A life of service: Proud Albany advocate and former parliamentarian Thomas Knight dies at the age of 87

A long-time advocate for Albany and the Great Southern — and one half of an extraordinary Albany power couple — has died this week at the age of 87. Thomas Knight spent 12 years in the Upper House of State Parliament representing what was known at the time as the South Province from 1974 to 1986. He was born and raised in Albany, where he attended Albany Primary School and Albany Senior High School before working as an apprentice carpenter from 1950 to 1955, then as a builder from 1955 to 1974. He also farmed for decades at Youngs Siding, Elleker then Upper Kalgan. From 1964-67, Mr Knight served as a Town of Albany councillor — where his wife, Annette, later served as mayor from 1988 to 1997. Annette Knight, who died in 2016, was named WA Citizen of the Year in 1997 and a Freeman of the City of Albany in 2012. At the 1974 State Election, Mr Knight was voted in as one of two Upper House members to represent the South Province electorate. In his inaugural speech to Parliament, he thanked electors for giving him the privilege of representing them and pledged to “honestly and diligently work to show their trust was not misplaced”. He outlined his aim to “speak not only on my own province, but on all areas of the State outside of the metropolitan area”. “I believe that the small country town must be maintained at all costs to allow country dwellers the chance of having any service similar to that which exists in the city,” he said. During his time in Parliament, he served as the parliamentary secretary to cabinet for just over a year within the Liberal Government led by Ray O’Connor. He took on a wide range of portfolios in his remaining years in opposition after Brian Burke won the 1983 election for Labor. Among them were stints as the shadow minister for arts, youth, community service, the elderly, the retired, sport and recreation, and multicultural and ethnic affairs. Mr Knight’s daughter Joanne May said her father had always been organised, allowing him to get so much done with the help of a strong support network. “Dad would fly to Perth every Monday morning and return home every Thursday night while Parliament was in session,” she said. “My mother Annette was a huge support and she essentially raised seven children and maintained the household while he was in Parliament. “He was able to attend meetings, discuss concerns with the community, and then unwind at his farm, time permitting, knowing we were well cared for.” After an unsuccessful campaign to hold on to his seat at the 1986 State Election, Mr Knight ran for the Lower House seat of Stirling, which at the time took in towns such as Denmark, Mt Barker, Walpole and Cranbrook. His campaign was unsuccessful, but his commitment to the community was evident well beyond his time in Parliament. He helped to build Albany Youth Centre on Campbell Road as well as being instrumental in the construction of Albany PCYC on Sanford Road. “After money became available, he served on the (Albany PCYC) board for six years and spent many hours reading through paperwork and checking the construction site,” Ms May said. “He became a life member of PCYC in 2017 as a result of his dedication.” He served as chairman of the Great Southern Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal for six years until 2000. As a 20-year-old, he spent six months in the National Service with the Royal Australian Navy in 1954 and his military honours included being awarded the Australian Defence Medal, National Service Medal and the Atomic Test Medal. He was also the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977. Along with his wife, Annette, he continued to promote Albany at every opportunity in his later years. Ms May said she recalled frequently overhearing conversations between her parents about the problems the community faced and how they could be fixed. “Once Dad retired from politics, Mum took over,” she said. “They were both go-getters and had similar views on what was needed to promote the city. “Where Mum had been his support, he became hers. They were a fantastic team.” Ms May said her father would be remembered as a devoted family man who always had the region’s best interests at heart. “He had a complete dedication to family and friends, but also spotted opportunities and took the initiative to establish relationships, look for solutions, and carry out the tasks at hand, to build a better future for everyone,” she said. Mr Knight’s funeral will be held at 10am on November 3 at Amity Rose Funerals.