Edward H. Sugden was the first Master of Queen's College in the University of Melbourne , holding that office from the last days of `marvellous Melbourne' to the beginning of the great depression. This book examines his long tenure at the college of which he was principal creator. Thanks to the remarkable range of his interests and convictions, and to the skills of a well-chosen team of contributors, `The Master' takes us far beyond the borders of institutional history,to illuminate the musical, theatrical and artistic life of Melbourne over half a century, and still more broadly to examine what Renate and Brian Howe nicely call the `civic liberalism' of which Sugden was an ardent champion.

Ken Inglis, Emeritus Professor of History at Australian National University

Husband and father, author and composer, lecturer and mentor, scholar and citizen, and eminent theologian. The authors draw on a wide range of expertise and research to explore Edward H. Sugden's rich contribution to the Methodist Church, the University of Melbourne and to the life of his adopted city and its institutions.