Alumni
Alumni feature wknight
University of West London Alumni e-Newsletter Autumn Edition
Alumni feature: William T. Knight (Class of '41)
Over the summer I was contacted by Margot Knight, the daughter of an alum, William Thomas Knight, who was a resident of Australia but obtained his Licentiate with our very own London College of Music in 1941.
Sadly William died recently aged 83, however whilst sorting through his belongings, Margot discovered the gold medal awarded to her father in December 1940 from The London College of Music for Violin Licentiate.
Here Margot shares her fathers journey from LCM graduate with us as well some amazing photos of him as a young man.
William Thomas Knight, known as ‘Bill’ passed away in August in Tweed Heads Hospital on the North East Coast of Australia - he was 83.
Bill grew up in Victoria, Australia the only child of Ida and Frank. He studied the violin for many years with Mr. A.P. Finister in Northcote Victoria and progressed steadily. For his final licentiate examination with the London College of Music, he was awarded the Commonwealth Gold Medal. He was only 13 years old. For his graduation presentation performance on the 6th October 1941 in The Melbourne Town Hall, he played violin solo Sonata Op.45, No 1 by Greig.
Although accomplished in the violin, Bill had many other interests. He attended the University High School in Parkville, where he became a prefect and excelled in sport, including Australian Rules football. He was a prefect, First 18 Football Captain and First 11 Cricket Captain.
After school, Bill was awarded a scholarship to study forestry at the Creswick School of Forest Science. He was vice-captain of the college football team. After graduating, aged 22 he met his wife Valda June Amey, a dental nurse from Bathurst, New South Wales. They fell in love, and were married, moving to country Victoria soon after where their children John and Margot were born.
Bill was by the time of his marriage, employed by APM forests a top 10 leading Australian Public Company and followed this with rapid recognition and promotion as a leader, manager and director spanning a 40 year career.
His interest in music and performance never left him, for several years after his marriage, he continued to play in musical soirees in the country. He did admit that all the hands on work in the forests was destroying his hands for the violin!
Performance took a new form in the lives of his daughter Margot and his granddaughters, Jessica, Sarah, and Madeleine. Two of them already with careers as performers and the others with a keen interest in the performing arts as well.
My father’s life was full of outstanding achievements; however, he would never have acknowledged such accomplishment. He gave many years of community service to bushfire fighting in Victoria. Sadly, he was unable to save his own home in the Ash Wednesday fires.
He was an active supporter and participant in many community programs over the years; Bill and his wife Val, gave time over many years to helping with the establishment of the game of Shuffle Board in his local area.
He played competitive Golf regularly for most of his adult life, in fact, during his years of playing golf, he had two holes in one! Over the past 5 years, he also got great pleasure from playing Lawn Bowls.
Bill lived a full and varied life. He faced life’s challenges and tests with courage, and a determination to ‘do the right thing’. His most enduring achievement and the mark of Bill’s life may well be his unswerving adherence to decent and honest values and hard work. To his many and varied friends Bill was simply regarded as a ‘good bloke’. He was greatly loved by his family and friends, and is greatly missed.
If you have a similar story and you’d like to share with us please contact us at University of West London Alumni.
Alumni feature: William T. Knight (Class of '41)
Over the summer I was contacted by Margot Knight, the daughter of an alum, William Thomas Knight, who was a resident of Australia but obtained his Licentiate with our very own London College of Music in 1941.
Sadly William died recently aged 83, however whilst sorting through his belongings, Margot discovered the gold medal awarded to her father in December 1940 from The London College of Music for Violin Licentiate.
Here Margot shares her fathers journey from LCM graduate with us as well some amazing photos of him as a young man.
William Thomas Knight, known as ‘Bill’ passed away in August in Tweed Heads Hospital on the North East Coast of Australia - he was 83.
Bill grew up in Victoria, Australia the only child of Ida and Frank. He studied the violin for many years with Mr. A.P. Finister in Northcote Victoria and progressed steadily. For his final licentiate examination with the London College of Music, he was awarded the Commonwealth Gold Medal. He was only 13 years old. For his graduation presentation performance on the 6th October 1941 in The Melbourne Town Hall, he played violin solo Sonata Op.45, No 1 by Greig.
Although accomplished in the violin, Bill had many other interests. He attended the University High School in Parkville, where he became a prefect and excelled in sport, including Australian Rules football. He was a prefect, First 18 Football Captain and First 11 Cricket Captain.
After school, Bill was awarded a scholarship to study forestry at the Creswick School of Forest Science. He was vice-captain of the college football team. After graduating, aged 22 he met his wife Valda June Amey, a dental nurse from Bathurst, New South Wales. They fell in love, and were married, moving to country Victoria soon after where their children John and Margot were born.
Bill was by the time of his marriage, employed by APM forests a top 10 leading Australian Public Company and followed this with rapid recognition and promotion as a leader, manager and director spanning a 40 year career.
His interest in music and performance never left him, for several years after his marriage, he continued to play in musical soirees in the country. He did admit that all the hands on work in the forests was destroying his hands for the violin!
Performance took a new form in the lives of his daughter Margot and his granddaughters, Jessica, Sarah, and Madeleine. Two of them already with careers as performers and the others with a keen interest in the performing arts as well.
My father’s life was full of outstanding achievements; however, he would never have acknowledged such accomplishment. He gave many years of community service to bushfire fighting in Victoria. Sadly, he was unable to save his own home in the Ash Wednesday fires.
He was an active supporter and participant in many community programs over the years; Bill and his wife Val, gave time over many years to helping with the establishment of the game of Shuffle Board in his local area.
He played competitive Golf regularly for most of his adult life, in fact, during his years of playing golf, he had two holes in one! Over the past 5 years, he also got great pleasure from playing Lawn Bowls.
Bill lived a full and varied life. He faced life’s challenges and tests with courage, and a determination to ‘do the right thing’. His most enduring achievement and the mark of Bill’s life may well be his unswerving adherence to decent and honest values and hard work. To his many and varied friends Bill was simply regarded as a ‘good bloke’. He was greatly loved by his family and friends, and is greatly missed.
If you have a similar story and you’d like to share with us please contact us at University of West London Alumni.
William graduates aged 13 in 1941
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