Decades of hard work have made Austin Broderick a rich man. His sheep station, Springfield, is one of the largest in Australia and the good relations between the native Aborigines and the Brodericks have made it one of the most peaceful. But with the arrival of the pious Reverend Billings all that looks set to change. Under the guise of friendship he enters the Aborigines' camp and leaves with three six-year-old boys - eager for adventure but destined for misery.

Meanwhile, Austin is facing the threat of the Selection Act - a bill which, if passed, will mean the loss of a large proportion of his land. His only hope is his son Harry and his influence as a Brisbane politician. But as the months go by it soon becomes clear that the family's problems run far deeper than any of them had imagined and the answers lie in the last place they would think to look...