16/08/2024
{ Interesting History on our beautiful Mansion}
When Thomas L. Smith married Mary Stuart in 1881 (who was the eldest daughter of Marburg School's first headmaster), they lived in a small timber home near the mill on the Woodlands property.
Thomas then selected a position for a new home on the rise of the nearby hill overlooking the estate, taking advantage of the commanding views across the countryside.
There is little written documentation about the building process of the Mansion, however stories have been passed from generation to generation.
One popular tale is that during the drought of 1888 Thomas kept his sugar cane workers busy by having them level the hilltop land, creating terrace gardens and excavating the Mansion's cellar. The bricks were hand carved onsite.
Thomas engaged the Ipswich firm of Samuel Shenton as architect and called tenders in early 1889. The design and supervision of construction was overseen by a young English architect by the name of George Brockwell Gill, who later would take over Shenton's company when he retired later that same year.
A distinctive feature of the Mansion's interior is the cedar panelling, the timber of which is said to have been cut at nearby Wivenhoe and milled on the property. Joinery work was completed by Joseph Klee, a German cabinet maker who worked as a foreman for Smith.
Interestingly, the date displayed at the top of the Mansion's tower is 1868, the year Woodlands Estate was established, not the date of the home's construction.
Photo- Thomas Smith standing top left with Mary and the kids. George Brockwell Gill standing bottom left.
