Charles Perry (17 February 1807 – 2 December 1891) was an English Australian, who served as the first Anglican Bishop of Melbourne and was a university administrator.

[3] Perry was a contemporary of Charles Wordsworth, nephew of the poet, and Henry Edward Manning; all three young men became bishops, albeit in different churches.

At Harrow, due to some youthful folly, the headmaster asked Perry's mother to remove him and send him to private tutors.

[6] Perry purchased the Advowson of the living of Barnwell, vested the patronage in trustees and secured the erection of two churches.

Five years later Perry was appointed the first Bishop of Melbourne and he and Fanny sailed on the Stag on 6 October 1847 and arrived in Port Phillip District (later named Victoria) on 23 January 1848.

Perry had brought three clergy with him and there were three lay readers,[3] thus making with the bishop a total of nine persons to minister to a district as large as Great Britain.

Perry had succeeded in obtaining about £10,000 for the organization of his diocese from societies and friends in England, however there was little prospect of receiving substantial amounts in the future.

It was, however, difficult to obtain additional clergy, and the cost of building for a time was exceedingly high during the gold rush era.

It was decided in 1872 that the diocese should be divided and a bishop appointed at Ballarat; in February 1874 Perry went to England to find a suitable man for this position.

The Revd Samuel Thornton was selected and consecrated in May 1875 and Perry abandoned his intention of returning to Melbourne, resigning early in 1876.