There is something magical about the story of Sidney Myer and the Myer family in Melbourne. It has all the hallmarks of the migrant success story, coupled with the fairy-tale elements of a Frank Capra film and the model capitalist tale of money managed in such a way that true philanthropy can occur. Sidney Myer arrives in Melbourne, penniless and destitute, with little more to his name than a reputation as a canny salesman and as a man whose skills and charm endear him to people. By the time he dies, Myer is Melbourne and vice versa. His name has become an institution; 100,000 mourners line the streets. This is an important and remarkable story: revealing about the nature of Australian opportunity; suggestive of the contribution migrants have made to our understanding of national identity; thought-provoking on the question of philanthropic motivation and Australia’s relatively limited history of philanthropy. Seventy-five years of subsequent generations of Myer generosity is yet more remarkable. The cultural contribution and social engagement of this family is ample material for a fascinating book. Sadly, A Tradition of Giving is not that book.