The Dolton family's prize Paddington terrace hasn't always been so pristine. For many years it remained so derelict and overgrown that the locals referred to it as ‘The Witch's House'. In fact the tale of this classic East Sydney home mirrors the evolution of the suburb itself, from early settlement, to depression and then grand gentrification.

The Doltons have heard stories that at the height of its Nineteenth Century grandeur their terrace belonged to a Chilean sea captain, who also held the post of Consul General for no less than four nations at the same time. But as Adam discovers, there was a darker side to this colourful character, whose career eventually turned to ruin.

Behind the very public highs and lows of the Chilean sea captain, Adam also discovers the secret life of a reclusive multi-millionaire who owned more than 100 homes, including the Dalton's terrace. Her frugal eccentricity inadvertently saved much of Paddington from the hands of unrestrained development.