 Colonial settlement of the area dates from the mid 1800s, with growth during the 1870s and 1880s.In February 1879, the township of Woodville West was advertised for sale in allotments, with one advertisement stating, "the township of Woodville West is pleasantly situated on the western side of the Port Road, and has the great advantages of easy communication with the port by means of the Alberton and Queenstown Tramway, with the city by trains passing every 45 minutes, the Woodville Station, and with the sea by the Grange and Military Road Railway.The soil is very fertile and well adapted for gardening."