Farncombe, 2 Princes Street (demolished)

Sydney  W  Smith was an architect and surveyor who had a long association with the City of St Kilda. He arrived  in  Australia  in  Sydney  in  1852 and  came  to  Melbourne  in  1857.  Though  Smith’s  endeavours  spread  far  and  wide his  family and professional life centred in  St  Kilda.  He  married Sarah  Anne Carter  in  1859  who raised  9  children  in  their home  in  Princes  Street,  called  Farncombe and designed by Smith and  finished  in  1871. He  died  at  Farncombe  on  June  13th  1886.  

His  first municipal position was  as  the first  surveyor  for  the  St  Kilda  Road  Board, appointed in 1859, and subsequently he remained surveyor and engineer for  the  newly  established borough of  St  Kilda in 1864.  From the 1860s  onward  he  identified  himself  as  the  CE  (Civil  Engineer)  for  St  Kilda  Council, a role in which he surveyed and made roads, oversaw drainage and the like. He held this position until 1872 (resignation announced in The Argus 30 January 1872, p6), just after completing this house. He then served as surveyor to the City of Emerald Hill (South Melbourne) and the City of Caulfield. Between 1864 and 1870 he was in partnership with architect Thomas Watts as Smith & Watts. 

His  oldest  son,  also  named  Sydney  W  Smith, entered  his  father’s architectural  firm  and  continued  and enhanced  the  reputation  of  the  firm  until  his   death  in  1933. He established  his  own  architectural  firm  that  year,  a  practice  which  was  continued  by  his  son  until   his  death  in  1933  under  the  name  Sydney Smith & Ogg, later  as Sydney Smith Ogg  and Serpell.  

Sarah Smith remained at Farncombe until her death in 1914 (The Argus, 31 Aug 1914, p8).