Australia's best player for the past decade, Perry went within a whisker on Thursday of joining Jill Kennare and Betty Wilson as the nation's only players with three Test tons.
But her hopes of three figures were dashed when she cut England debutante Lauren Filer to Nat Sciver-Brunt in the gully on 99, one ball after narrowly evading the same fielder.
Still, Perry's Trent Bridge innings has given Australia the upper hand after the first day of the sole Test at the start of the multi-format series.
Until her dismissal the 32-year-old guided anything short to the boundary between deep-third and point, while also being dominant on the cover drive.
She produced one of the shots of the day when she sent star England spinner Sophie Ecclestone to the cover boundary with the first ball she bowled, and later took 16 off one Kate Cross over.
Perry's innings took her average to 77.36 and just shy of fellow Australian Denise Annett's mark of 81.90, which remains the highest in the history of women's Test cricket for players with 10 innings or more.
Perry's wicket came amid a minor collapse of 3-12 for Australia, after a sweeping Jess Jonassen was caught in close off Ecclestone following a delayed DRS review.
Ecclestone then went wide of the crease and took a ball past Alyssa Healy's edge to take her off stump on zero, marking her third straight duck in Test cricket.
Ecclestone (3-71) was by far England's best on the opening day, after also producing a peach of a delivery to drift and spin one past Tahlia McGrath to bowl her on 61 and end a 119-run third-wicket stand with Perry.
But after the flurry of wickets, Ashleigh Gardner (40) and Annabel Sutherland (39no) stabilised before Gardner was caught behind off Lauren Bell shortly before stumps
Earlier, Phoebe Litchfield made 23 opening on debut for Australia, but failed to review when given out lbw leaving a delivery that ball-tracking showed would have missed off stump.
Beth Mooney also made 33, before she became Filer's (2-65) first Test wicket when she edged into the gully.
The Test match kicks off the multi-format series, with four points on the line in this match and then two points available for each of the three ODIs and three T20s.
Australia have held the Ashes since 2015, winning or drawing the past four series.
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