• Thirty first Governor of New South Wales.

• Born in Hay, New South Wales in 1899. First Governor to be born within the state.

• Entered the Royal Military College in 1917 and commissioned Lieutenant in 1920.

• Served for 12 months in India then returned to Australia to gain experience as adjutant and quartermaster of light horse regiments in New South Wales.

• Transferred to Royal Australian Air Force in 1925 and qualified as a pilot.

• Reverted to the navy in 1928 and subsequently became adjutant and quartermaster of the 19th Light Horse regiment then the 4th Light Horse regiment (1929-1934).

• Joined the Australian Imperial Force in 1939 and sailed to the Middle East in April, 1940.

• Awarded and O.B.E in 1941 for 'devotion to duty'.

• Awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1942 after outstanding service in Syria, Greece and the Battle of El Alamein.

• Returned to Australia in 1943 remaining as an officer in the Army in various positions.

• Returned to England in 1948 and attended the Imperial Defence College.

• In 1949, he was deputy adjutant general in Melbourne where he implemented the new national service scheme, and fought for improvements in soldiers' pay and conditions.

• 1950-51 - Reported directly to Sir Robert Menzies, then Prime Minister, as head of a special staff.

• Elevated to C.B.E. in 1952.

• When Sir John Northcott's successful term as Governor of New South Wales drew to a close, the premier sought another Australian born military officer to succeed him. He chose Woodward, who assumed office in 1957.

• Appointed K.C.M.G. In 1958 and K.C.V.O in 1963.

• Awarded honorary doctorates by the universities of New South Wales (1958), Sydney (1959) and New England (1961).

• As Governor, he and his wife tried to meet a cross-section of the community and to be a 'unifying force' in society.

• Retired in July 1965.

• Died in 1967 and accorded a state funeral with full military honours.

D. T. Bennett, WOODWARD, Sir W. Forthcoming (Australian Dictionary of Biography)