A social history of Bishopscourt Melbourne. It starts with the arrival of Bishop Perry and his choosing of the site for Melbourne’s episcopal residence and works through the trials and tribulations that he and his wife experienced in the establishment of a house and a tradition that had to serve both their public and private lives. It continues through the lives of the thirteen subsequent incumbents and their families as played out in the house. The book also provides a detailed history of the house itself from first construction through the many alterations, major and minor. The history of the garden is woven into the larger story.