Knight was an architect and engineer who undertook a range of public service and business positions in Victoria and the Northern Territory. One of his major tallents was in the organisaton of exhibitions (both international and at home).

He married Alice Bertrand in 1853 and had three sons and two daughters.

The collection is based upon an exhibition in Adelaide of 18 Australian Aboriginal drawings which are represented as one volume of drawings entitled "The dawn of art: original sketches and drawings by Aboriginal natives of the Northern Territory executed without the aid of a master." There is also a representation "one sheet of figures drawn by a native prisoner on the walls of Palmerston Goal, Northern Territory".

The collection was donated to the Museum in March 1958 from the South Australian School of Arts.