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Bidwill House are led by the mission of their patron saint, St Francis.  As the patron for animals and the environment, St Francis leads us to have a heart for all creation.  He preached the duty of all creation to praise God and the duty of people to protect and enjoy nature.  A famous story about St Francis’s heart for all creation sprang up after the Saint's death. It is said that, one day, while Francis was travelling with some friends, they walked past a place where birds filled the trees on either side. He spoke to the birds and the birds surrounded him, intrigued by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away. He is often portrayed with a bird, typically in his hand.

Bidwill House is named after John Carne Bidwill who in 1848 was appointed the Commissioner of Crown Lands at Wide Bay. He was also Chairman of the Bench of Magistrates and Harbourmaster for Maryborough. He was also a botanist of note.