Description

Bishopscourt is owned by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and is of historical and social importance as the oldest house in East Melbourne and the last intact urban estate in the City of Melbourne. In June of 1847, Queen Victoria’s Letters Patent declared Charles Perry as the first Church of England Bishop (and now Anglican Bishops) of the Diocese of Melbourne, thus conferring on Melbourne the status of being a City with what was then the Cathedral Church of St James as the seat of the bishop. Since its first occupants in 1853, Bishop Charles Perry and Mrs Frances Perry, Bishopscourt has been home to all the Anglican bishops and archbishops of Melbourne. During the 1870s it served briefly as the Viceregal home for two Governors of Victoria.

Its architectural significance reflects a span of styles and building techniques from the time of planning in 1850 to the present day. The oldest part of the building features an Italianate design in bluestone while the 1903 Walter Butler wing reflects Federation Queen Anne domestic style. Various improvements have been made since that date.

What's On

Learn more about Bishopscourt and its part in the development of Melbourne with a tour through the foyer, the formal rooms and the chapel. Welcomed in by an actor dressed as Frances Perry, the wife of the first Bishop Charles Perry, visitors will be given information on the overall history of the house, descriptions of each room and the garden.