lived and worked in this grand Victorian mansion and who played a crucial role in the creation and maintenance of Western Australia's social order in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Intriguing stories, such as the 'murder in the ballroom' and a young royal's impressions of the sandy colonial town, are woven into this thoroughly researched account. The book's handsome design showcases images from the earliest days of the Swan River settlement, royal visits, and the evolving appearance of Government House over two centuries. It also describes the design, construction and furnishing of the residence, and the cultivation and landscaping of the surrounding domain.