From grand colonial mansions to sprawling rural wealth of fascinating and historic homes. Great Houses of Australia takes you inside 50 of these remarkable residences and brings to life the people and events that have made them what they are today.

Many of these houses are intrinsically linked with Australia's age of colonial exploration and settlement; included are the homes of such noted personalities as John Macarthur and Hamilton Hume, as well as Australia's first mining magnate Johann Ballerstedt. Some homes have defied the odds - such as Darwin's Government House, which was survived three major cyclones, an earthquake or two, 65 air raids and continuous attacks by white ants. Other homes were the site of fierce gunfights back when bushranger Ben Hall was on the loose, and still others come with a few resident ghosts. One thing's for sure; they all have a story to tell.

Great Houses of Australia is bound to delight anyone interested in architecture and design, as well as all those interested in finding out more about both the people who built these homes and those who look after them now.