Woods was a son of James Dominick Woods (1787–1851), One purpose of his emigration was to act as
attorney for one John Abel Smith of
Smith, Payne & Smith who had some difficulties in the colony that needed personal attention, but before it had been sorted out, Woods got news of Smith's death. He was soon in demand as secretary and shorthand reporter with a parliamentary
select committee, which led to an appointment in the Central Road Board office and (due to the exodus to the Victorian goldfields) rapid promotion to Secretary to the Board and was ordained the following year. Woods returned to Government service as Secretary to the Commissioner of Public Works (Sir
Samuel Davenport) followed by Sir
Arthur Blyth. His organisational skills resulted in his promotion to Manager of Waterworks, and oversaw the initial provision of piped water to the City of Adelaide. The Press of the day criticised Woods' appointment on the grounds that he was too useful an officer to be sidelined to such an undemanding position. In September 1859 Woods sued his minister,
John Henry Barrow, MP., who was also editor of
The Advertiser, for a libel which appeared in its issue of 30 August 1859, an advertisement signed by one William Osborne alleging corruption in the service, which despite representations to Barrow, was repeated, and though Barrow apologised after the libel suit was filed, refused to pay court costs, which could be seen as an admission of guilt. The engineer John England, who was also maligned, joined in the suit against Barrow, which failed, as did an appeal to the Supreme Court. Woods was dismissed from the service in March 1861 by Commissioner
Hay, who appointed
Benjamin Boothby in his place. Several MPs, notably
Lavington Glyde, demanded to see the documents relating to his sacking and, having them tabled, moved in June that the House find the reasons given (unproven allegations of dishonest collusion between England and Woods to benefit contractor Gouge, and Woods' "pert" response to the accusation) as insufficient for such action. The motion was lost on party lines. The issue was further clouded when the Treasurer/Premier (
Thomas Reynolds) asserted he had seen Woods and London together at a mining shareholders' meeting, which Woods flatly denied, saying he had no shares in mining or any other industry. In the end, Woods was awarded £300 compensation and Reynolds resigned three weeks later. Woods returned to reporting parliamentary select committees and commissions alongside
Ebenezer Ward and
Frederick Sinnett, which lasted around three years. In 1863 he was appointed Returning Officer for
West Adelaide, which he held for seven years, establishing a reputation for accuracy and efficiency. In 1871 he visited Melbourne to catch up with his eldest brother Edward, who had recently left
The Times to join
The Argus's parliamentary reporting staff. On returning to Adelaide he found employment with Joseph Darwent's Intercolonial and Coasting Steam and Shipping Company, as corresponding clerk, a position he held for some years. In 1878 he was appointed Returning Officer for
East Torrens followed by the
Electoral district of Torrens, which he held until 1904, when he retired. He died after a brief illness, and received the
last sacraments from the Very Rev. Father O'Brien, S.J., of Norwood. He was buried at the
West Terrace Cemetery, Father Sheehan officiating at the grave. == Writing ==