Hamilton Knight
Encyclopedia
The Hon. Hamilton Knight (9 December 1888 – 14 January 1964) was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
from 1927 until 1947 . During his parliamentary career he was, at various times, a member of the Australian Labor Party
(ALP), the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
and the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
. He was the Minister for Labour and Industry and Social Welfare for 6 years during the premiership of William McKell
.
where his father had been a gold prospector. He was educated to elementary level at state schools near Sofala. At age 19 he traveled to New Zealand, where he worked as a coal miner, became a union activist and associated with his uncle, Bob Semple
the Minister for Works in the first New Zealand Labour government. Knight returned to the western coal-fields of New South Wales in 1914 and worked as a miner until he was black-listed by the colliery owners because of his labour agitation in 1917. Attempts at working under an assumed name were unsuccessful but, in 1924, he was eventually employed in a state owned colliery in Lithgow, New South Wales
. He was an official of the Miners Federation
holding the positions of president of the Western New South Wales division and vice-president of the national federation. Knight was elected as an alderman of Lithgow Municipal Council
between 1921 and 1928.
state election but he was placed in the unwinnable third position behind James Dooley
and Gus Kelly
. When New South Wales reverted to single member electorates at the 1927
election, Knight gained Labor endorsement for the re-created seat of Hartley
. He was successful at the general election and held the seat until he resigned in 1947 after being appointed as a Commissioner of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
. He was a supporter of Jack Lang
and was a member of his breakaway parties; the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
in 1932-1936 and the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
in 1940. At the 1935
he easily defeated a challenge from the former Premier James Dooley
, who stood as an Anti-Lang Labor candidate.
election, Knight was appointed as the Minister for Labour and Industry and Social Welfare . He held this position until his resignation from parliament.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
from 1927 until 1947 . During his parliamentary career he was, at various times, a member of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP), the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
Australian Labor Party (NSW)
The Australian Labor Party , commonly known as Lang Labor, was the name given to a major breakaway of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales that operated from 1931 to 1936....
and the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
The Australian Labor Party was the second Lang Labor breakaway party, associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang. It operated from 1940 to 1941....
. He was the Minister for Labour and Industry and Social Welfare for 6 years during the premiership of William McKell
William McKell
Sir William John McKell GCMG , Australian politician, was Premier of New South Wales from 1941 to 1947, and was the 12th Governor-General of Australia. He was also the oldest Governor General of Australia, at 93 when he died....
.
Early and Personal Life
Knight was born in Sofala, New South WalesSofala, New South Wales
Sofala is a village located approximately 250 km north-west of Sydney, New South Wales, within Bathurst Regional Council. It is located beside the Turon River. Sofala is just off the Bathurst-Ilford Road, with only local traffic through the town itself...
where his father had been a gold prospector. He was educated to elementary level at state schools near Sofala. At age 19 he traveled to New Zealand, where he worked as a coal miner, became a union activist and associated with his uncle, Bob Semple
Bob Semple
Robert "Bob" Semple was a union leader and later Minister of Public Works for the first Labour Government of New Zealand....
the Minister for Works in the first New Zealand Labour government. Knight returned to the western coal-fields of New South Wales in 1914 and worked as a miner until he was black-listed by the colliery owners because of his labour agitation in 1917. Attempts at working under an assumed name were unsuccessful but, in 1924, he was eventually employed in a state owned colliery in Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
. He was an official of the Miners Federation
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union is Australia's main trade union in construction, forestry and furnishing products, mining and energy production....
holding the positions of president of the Western New South Wales division and vice-president of the national federation. Knight was elected as an alderman of Lithgow Municipal Council
City of Lithgow
Lithgow is a Local Government Area in New South Wales, Australia that includes Lithgow and its surrounding area. It is on the Great Western Highway and the Main Western railway line.- Demographics :According to the , there:...
between 1921 and 1928.
State Parliament
Knight won pre-selection as an ALP candidate for the multi-member seat of Bathurst at the 1925New South Wales state election, 1925
The 1925 New South Wales state election was held on 30 May 1925. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 27th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in multiple member constituencies with compulsory preferential single transferable vote usit the Hare Clark system)...
state election but he was placed in the unwinnable third position behind James Dooley
James Dooley (Australian politician)
James Thomas Dooley served twice, briefly, as Premier of New South Wales during the early 1920s.-Early years:...
and Gus Kelly
Gus Kelly (politician)
Christopher Augustus "Gus" Kelly was an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1925 to 1932 and again from 1935 until his death in 1967, representing the electorate of Bathurst...
. When New South Wales reverted to single member electorates at the 1927
New South Wales state election, 1927
The 1927 New South Wales state election to elect the 90 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly was held on 8 October 1927. During the previous parliament the voting system, which had been a form of proportional representation with multi-member seats and a single transferable vote , was changed...
election, Knight gained Labor endorsement for the re-created seat of Hartley
Electoral district of Hartley (New South Wales)
Hartley was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1859 in the Lithgow area and named after the town of Hartley, near Lithgow. It replaced part of Cook and Westmoreland. From 1891 to 1894, it elected two members...
. He was successful at the general election and held the seat until he resigned in 1947 after being appointed as a Commissioner of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission
Australian Industrial Relations Commission
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission, or AIRC , was a tribunal with powers under the Workplace Relations Act 1996. It was the central institution of Australian labour law...
. He was a supporter of Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
and was a member of his breakaway parties; the Australian Labor Party (NSW)
Australian Labor Party (NSW)
The Australian Labor Party , commonly known as Lang Labor, was the name given to a major breakaway of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales that operated from 1931 to 1936....
in 1932-1936 and the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)
The Australian Labor Party was the second Lang Labor breakaway party, associated with New South Wales Premier Jack Lang. It operated from 1940 to 1941....
in 1940. At the 1935
New South Wales state election, 1935
The 1935 New South Wales state election was held on 11 May 1935. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 31st New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting....
he easily defeated a challenge from the former Premier James Dooley
James Dooley (Australian politician)
James Thomas Dooley served twice, briefly, as Premier of New South Wales during the early 1920s.-Early years:...
, who stood as an Anti-Lang Labor candidate.
Government
With the election of William McKell's Labor government at the 1941New South Wales state election, 1941
The 1941 New South Wales state election was held on 10 May 1941. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 33nd New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting....
election, Knight was appointed as the Minister for Labour and Industry and Social Welfare . He held this position until his resignation from parliament.