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General orders now open
Final orders post the initial crowdfunding campaign are now open. Payment via PayPal here. Link takes you to Setken's order page.
The book is expected to publish early December 2026.
Discounts apply for orders of 5 units or more. Email for details.
About The King of Melbourne:
Colonial Melbourne's most influential figure was more intriguing than you know
116 years ago, an extraordinary mausoleum of Egyptianizing architecture was built in a cemetery in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Based on a well-known structure in Egypt called Trajan’s Kiosk and designed by one of the most beloved architects of the day, it is considered a masterpiece of Arts and Crafts architecture.
It is the final resting place of one of the city’s most prominent and well-known citizens, the owner of The Age newspaper - Scottish immigrant David Syme.
Designed as a family mausoleum, later his wife Annabella would be laid to rest with him, but not one of their nine children would join their parents in the crypt subsequently.
Soon afterwards the fascinating story of how the tomb came to be, and the prominence of the man it was built for faded into history, with many details lost, and some hidden. The ensuing misconceptions brought even the very architectural authorship of the monument into question.
This new biography about David Syme and his spectacular tomb explores the spiritual understandings of the man himself, from his Calvinist beginnings as a young man in Scotland, to the afterlife and how Ancient Egyptian religion and symbolism are reflected in the very mausoleum itself.
Included is a survey of the monument and those responsible for its creation: architects Walter Butler and Royston Bradshaw, artisan Mabel Young, and stonemasons George and Alexander Ballantine.
An examination of the climate of Spiritualism and Theosophy prevalent at the time is discussed from the perspective of the author, a researcher - artist who has engaged with the monument in paintings and public talks for almost a decade. David Syme's interest in Ancient Egyptian religion is included with chapters examining this from a contemporary perspective.
This beautifully presented hardcover book includes discussions about early Australian Prime Minister and Federation draftsman Alfred Deakin, and British Spiritualist Gerald Massey - integral to the telling of Syme's story and the genesis of the tomb.
Acknowledging the influence of The Age, a pioneering newspaper that set the template for mighty newspapers in Australia and worldwide, the untold story of Mr. Syme and his spectacular tomb unfolds in the 15 chapters of
The King Of Melbourne
[The Spiritual Life of David Syme, His Newspaper: the Age, and the Legacy of his Monumental Tomb].
Exhaustive Research
The King Of Melbourne is the result of years of exhaustive research and interviews.
Edited by acclaimed Egyptologist and author Dr. Tamara L. Siuda, with an insightful foreword by Dr. Jasmine Day, the book is fully cited and includes an extensive bibliography.
Pre- Release Highlights
The author enjoyed many highlights in the years during the writing of this book, including meeting two key people featured here:
Ranald Macdonald, the last Syme at The Age before it fell to Fairfax in the 80's - and author of a hard-to-find Syme book himself - made a speech after Setken's 2025 Open House Melbourne talk , A Monumental Egyptian Tomb In Melbourne.
Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Morrison - who sadly passed away earlier in 2026 - met with the author and shared wonderful stories about her research for her magnum opus David Syme: Man Of The Age, a prime reference source for him in the writing of The King Of Melbourne.
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International Interest
The King Of Melbourne has attracted international interest, especially from the Egyptological community.
The Arts and Crafts movement in Melbourne (late 1800's / early 1900's) created a masterwork with Syme's tomb, and this has not escaped the attention of scholars specialising in Egyptian Reception Studies.
One of these scholars, Dr. Jasmine Day, has written the foreword for the book. She also introduced Setken to the International Society for the Study of Egyptomania (ISSE), where he is now a member.
Setken presented a talk for the organisation earlier in 2026 for their Study Day, and has had an article published in their magazine.
Update to publishing late 2026
The editing of the book is complete, bringing us to the final stages of production.
Aside from the crowdfunding pre-orders, only a limited number of surplus copies will be printed.
Please send an email if you would like to be notified when the limited copies become available.
the chapters of The King of Melbourne
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