1988
David is the eldest child of Harold and Mavis Bishop. David is every bit his father in terms of stature and principles. David attends his father Harold's (Ian Smith) buck's party, much to the amusement of Henry Ramsay (Craig McLachlan), Scott (Jason Donovan) and Paul Robinson, due to his resemblance to Harold and similar traits. David attends the wedding and acts as best man. He does not initially take to his father's fiancée Madge Ramsay (Anne Charleston), but welcomes her by calling her "mother" at the reception. David then makes a speech that bores the guests and is ultimately halted by Jim Robinson (Alan Dale). The morning after the wedding, David puts Henry's nose out of joint when he wakes him at 7 am to clear up at Number 24.
During this brief visit to Erinsborough, David tries to woo Jane Harris (Annie Jones), the granddaughter of Harold's former landlady, Mrs Mangel (Vivean Gray), and goes as far as to tell her boyfriend, Mike Young (Guy Pearce) that he is out to win Jane. Jane tells David she is not interested and only wants to be friends. David annoys Henry further by insulting Madge, which results in Henry threatening him with violence. However, they make up after David reveals Mrs Mangel had said some nasty things about Madge, which also influenced his attitude toward her. Henry gives David a "cool-dude" image makeover, which does not sit well with Harold, and sets David up with Prue Watkins (Lindsay Worthington) who works at Lassiter's Hotel. After the date, Prue ultimately rejects David and tells him she does not want to see him again. David then returns home to Adelaide.
In the intervening years, David moves to Perth and marries Liljana Ristic. They have a daughter, Serena. In 1991, Madge contacts David to tell him about Harold's disappearance, after he is washed off some rocks and presumed drowned. David flies down to be with her. Five years later, Harold is discovered to be alive, but suffering from amnesia. He regains his memory, but his relationship with David suffers.
2003–2005
15 years later, David phones Harold with the news that he and his family are moving to Erinsborough after he lands a job with an old school friend, Thomas Morgan. The family initially stay with Harold until their new home is built but problems are visible as David and Harold's relationship has been strained over the years after Harold's disappearance and battle with amnesia, resulting in minimal contact between father and son besides the odd Christmas and birthday card.
After Harold visits David at his workplace and is virtually ignored, Harold lets his feelings be known towards him, citing David as materialistic. Harold then complains about Liljana taking over his kitchen and Serena being spoilt. David hits back by telling Harold he has felt excluded from his life and points out that he only called him to tell him Madge had died, after her funeral two years prior. David, Liljana and Serena move into Lassiters' for several days. Liljana helps repair the rift between David and Harold and the family move back in.
David receives a shock when he finds his new offices locked and bolted. He tries to contact Thomas but his calls go unanswered. David keeps the news of his financial problems to himself and consults Tim Collins (Ben Anderson) for legal advice. Tim's colleague, Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney) tells him Thomas has ripped David off and has disappeared with the money. When David's BMW is repossessed, he is forced to come clean to Liljana about being bankrupt. Liljana is shocked and appalled by the lies. David and Liljana both get jobs with Toadie and Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher), respectively. David is offered some work in Sydney but it means being away over Christmas, However he is able to work ahead of schedule and come home on Christmas Eve, much to the family's delight. The Bishop's Christmas is marred by Harold suffering a stroke on Boxing day at Lou Carpenter (Tom Oliver) and Trixie Tucker's (Wendy Stapleton) wedding reception.
Liljana's mother, Svetlanka (Deidre Rubenstein) arrives. David and Liljana are quick to cover up their money problems but are forced to admit them. The visit coincides with the revelation Serena has been dating and posing in racy bikini shots for pedophilic photographer Chris Cousens (Simon Mallory). David breaks into Chris' studio, smashes the place up, steals Chris' hardrive and hands it in to the police anonymously then later burns the photos. Svetlanka blames Liljana and David for being unable to control their daughter and offers to take Serena back to Perth with her. Liljana refuses and Svetlanka tells David the only reason Liljana married him is because she needed a father for her child. David is stunned and thinks Serena is not his daughter at first until Liljana tells him that she had been pregnant when she met and had given birth to a stillborn son, fathered by a worker at her mother's vineyard. Svetlanka is then banished from Number 24 after David stands by his wife.
David supports his niece, Sky Mangel (Stephanie McIntosh) when she goes to confront John Swan, the man who shot her mother, David's sister, Kerry (Linda Hartley-Clark) in 1990. Sky attacks John but is restrained by David. John tells them he regrets his actions and only comes to the wetlands to reflect on what happened. David and Liljana's marriage goes through a testing time when both accuse each other of having affairs. When the anniversary of his mother, Mavis' death approaches David invites Sky to join him, Liljana and Serena in celebrating Mavis' life with a champagne picnic and some birdwatching. David then tells Harold that he always felt he never loved Mavis as much as he did Madge. Harold assures David that he loved Mavis very much. David is resistant when Serena begins dating the hyperactive Stingray Timmins (Ben Nicholas) but eventually accepts it.
Liljana falls ill due to liver failure and none of the family are a suitable match. David is distraught when he faces the possibility of his wife's death. Svetlanka's godson, Luka Dokich (Keelan O'Hehir), who had been dating Serena, offers to help the family. Liljana recovers and it is soon revealed that Luka is her son. Svetlanka had paid a doctor to tell her that he was stillborn and had him adopted him out. Luka eventually leaves after setting fire to David's briefcase. David runs for councillor and Paul, who has recently returned to the area pledges his support. Paul later causes the family more problems when he frames David for defrauding The Helen Daniels Trust after working on the accounts for the company. David is eventually cleared but the damage to the marriage is done after Liljana begins to think he really is guilty.
David is devastated when he finds that Paul and Liljana have been having an affair. He tries to run Paul down with his car one afternoon at Lassiter's. After Paul is hospitalised after a bad business deal, which results in the loss of a leg, David, working as a salvation army volunteer, encounters him in the hospital and is goaded by Paul with the chance to get him out of the Bishops' life forever. David then lets go of the Wheelchair leaving Paul to hurtle towards a busy freeway. Paul jumps to safety at the last minute deciding he wants to live. David and Liljana reconcile, but when Paul moves next door to the Bishops, he taunts them at every opportunity. The couple rise above it, but not before David and Harold begin practising the tuba at early hours. When David wins $250,000 on the lottery, he toys with the idea of spending the money on expensive things, but donates it to the Salvation army which initially shocks Liljana.
To celebrate Lassiter's 20th anniversary. The Bishops, along with Sky and several of their neighbours, go on a joyflight to Tasmania. The flights ends in tragedy when a planted bomb explodes, causing the place to crash in the Bass Strait. A few days later, David's body is found, but Liljana and Serena's are not. David is identified by Sky and her adoptive father, Joe Mangel (Mark Little). A memorial service is held at the community hall and David is buried with only Harold and Sky present.
