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.

[1] Knight won pre-selection as an ALP candidate for the multi-member seat of Bathurst at the 1925 state election but was placed in the unwinnable third position behind James Dooley and Gus Kelly.

[2] 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.