Residents of Upper Beaconsfield and surrounding areas"Woodside"
3 St Georges Road (PAK-66 - Lots 1+2)
The early history of Woodside is unclear. Henry George Dauntless Burston bought this lot of 3a 3r 33 4/10p from the Commercial Bank on Christmas Eve 1896. He was described as a photographer in the rate book and as commercial traveller in other records.
On 15 Oct 1900 a Catherine Davies of South Yarra bought the land. The rate book lists an A or Albert Davies as the owner, also a photographer. By 1901/02 there is a house listed in the rate book, and the rates had increased. Catherine Davies may have been the sister of storekeeper Kirwin.
On 28 Mar 1905 Erdmuthe Frederica Marianne Pohley became the owner, and she lived at Woodside until her death in 1944. On 15 Nov 1907 she also bought what was left of lot 1 after the land reserved for the church was excised, extending her holding to 8a 3r 4p.
Marianne was better known as Mrs Harvey Smith after she married William John Harvey Smith in 1906. W J Harvey Smith was a JP, and both Mr and Mrs Harvey Smith were very active in the local community, William was Hon. Secretary of the Berwick Grammar School, Deputy Coroner for the district, Secretary and treasurer of St John's Church, chairman of the Assembly Hall Trust.
George Pritchard Harvey Wilson was the godson of William John Harvey Smith, and recalled in 1993 that the house was a white weatherboard with a tower, which he was allowed to climb to enjoy the view if he behaved well. Behind the house was a lawn on which the McLean sisters played croquet. Behind the lawn were stables which housed a phaeton and a horse called Dick.
Marianne Harvey Smith organised her affairs shortly before her death, and left the property to her two friends Estelle Marx and Gwendoline Flood. In 1949 they advertised "Woodside" and sold it to Lillian Ann Broderick, although the title wasn't adjusted until 1954, when Lillian sold the property to Alan and Joyce Paterson. They then split the land into two parts, one retaining the house Woodside with St Georges Road frontage (3 St Georges Road), the other having access from Beaconsfield-Emerald Road (No. 17).
