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Mary and her boyfriend Michael are harrassed by British soldiers while out walking. In repsonse to the troops taking over a nearby farm, Michael and his mates burn down the house which is now being used to store supplies. When the Mulvane family can't pay rent and church tax, the British troops take their cow away as payment. Mary and Michael attempt to retrieve the cow back but are discovered and Michael is shot dead - leaving Mary to stand trial.
Mary is onboard a convict transport ship on route to Australia and Polly, a streetwise convict in charge, makes Mary life harder. Ensign Grenville gives Mary a chance to escape the prison below, but he is furious when she turns down his offer. This leads him to what revenge which backfires when Mary cuts a soldier in self-defence. Worse is to come though when there is talk of a mutiny.
A concerned Doctor ensures that Mary is given a good chance in the colony by being assigned to Captain Wiltshire. He sends Jonathan to escourt her back, himself a convict serving his sentence. Polly decides that she isn't going to let just any man choose her, so she does the work and snags Will Price, an Innkeeper.
The men are forced to work very hard at their labour. Jonathan befriends a wiley fellow convict Dinny O'Byrne.
Mary meets up again with Polly, a fellow captive on the long sea voyage to the colony, who now works at the local inn. Jonathan learns to read and write prior to becoming a free man.
Mary, who had originally planned to return to Ireland, decideds to stay in the Colony and marry Jonathan after seeing his house and land.
Work on the land is hard and there is talk of an uprising among the convicts and Jonathan, against Mary's will, wants to help them.
The uprising has begun but the convicts are tricked and betrayed. The British troops are too powerful and the uprising has failed.
Dinny, although wounded, escapes the slaughter and hides at Jonathan's house. Meanwhile, their old adversary, Ensign Greville has taken over the neighbouring farm.
Dinny finds an Aboriginal wife and, as he is a wanted man, has to live rough in the bush with her. Mary gives birth to a son. Dinny is spotted by the military and shot dead.
Crops are bad at Jonathan's farm and the military want to take advantage of this and buy the crops off his farm from him. Jonathan finally has no choice but to sell. Later he finds out the payment is only given out in rum!
Jonathan and Will, Polly's husband, start their own illegal distillery. But when this is discovered , Will is fiercely punished.
Ensign Greville uses Mrs Wiltshire's affection for him to gain power in the Colony. Jonathan is sentenced to 6 months jail for writing a letter to the Governor exposing the corruption of the overseers after he refuses to do as the new 'government' order. Will is still imprisioned after being turned in for his whiskey making.
