Harold Murray Knight KBE DSC (1919 - 2005)

Born 13 Aug 1919 in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 19 Jun 2005 at age 85 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Harry Knight KBE DSC is Notable.

Sir Harold Knight KBE DSC MCom was an Australian soldier, sailor and economist. He was the third Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Harry Knight KBE DSC was born in Victoria, Australia

Harold 'Harry' Murray Knight was born on 13th August 1919 in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was the third of four sons of Walter Knight and Agnes Hughes. ^[1] He also had one older sister, Gwenllian. His eldest brother, Gordon, died as a seventeen year-old in 1928. Harry was educated at Scotch College, Hawthorn. ^[2]

He joined the Commonwealth Bank in 1936, however, his time at the central bank was punctuated by the outbreak of the Second World War. ^[3]

Harry Knight KBE DSC is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Second Australian Imperial Force 1940-1943
Australian Engineers Water Transport

On 1st July 1940, Harry was commissioned in the Second Australian Imperial Force. He served as a Lieutenant with the Australian Engineers Water Transport until 4th April 1943, at which time he resigned his commission and ... ^[4]

Harry Knight KBE DSC is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve 1943-1946
HMAS Polaris

... took up a commission the following day, 5th April 1943, with the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve. He served aboard HMAS Polaris, tasked with survey operations in the South West Pacific. Harry ended his military career as a Lieutenant at HMAS Lonsdale on 1st March 1946. ^[5] Harry lost his older brother, Frank, in November 1943 as a POW in Burma.

In 1945 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) 'for survey operations while serving in the Far East'. ^[6][7]

Free of his military obligations, Harry returned to the Commonwealth Bank in 1946 and after a string of promotions was seconded to the International Monetary Fund. ^[3]

Harry married Gwenyth Catherine Pennington in 1951 in Sydney. ^[8]

After returning to Australia in 1959, he completed his Master of Commerce (MCom) degree at the University of Melbourne. He was appointed Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank in 1968 and at the end of his term in 1975 was appointed Governor. He held the role of Governor until his retirement in 1982, having served at the Bank for 46 years. ^[3]

In the New Year Honours 1980, Harry was created Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) 'for services to banking'. ^[9]

Aged 95 years, Sir Harold passed away on 19th June 2005 in Sydney, New South Wales. ^[3] He was survived by his wife, Lady (Gwen) Knight, their children and their families, and his sister Gwenllian Nash (passed in 2011).

Harry was the grandfather of novelist, comedy writer, radio host and media commentator Dominic Knight, and of artist Jasper Knight, whose portrait of him was shortlisted for the Archibald Prize in 2006.

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #21149/1919
2. ↑ Mitchell, James. 'A Deepening Roar: Scotch College, Melbourne, 1851–2001', Allen & Unwin, 2001, pp 531 & 537
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Reserve Bank of Australia: Passing of Sir Harold Knight KBE DSC; accessed 16 May 2024
4. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: VX43068 Lieutenant Harold Murray Knight; accessed 16 May 2024
5. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: Lieutenant Harold Murray Knight; accessed 16 May 2024
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial honour and awards: DSC; accessed 16 May 2024
7. ↑ London Gazette 23 February 1945 Supplement:36958 Page:1130; ; accessed 16 May 2024
8. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #8022/1951
9. ↑ Australian Honours: KBE; accessed 16 May 2024

See also

• Wikipedia: H M Knight; accessed 16 May 2024.