Australia in the 18th century, a harsh and unforgiving land - a burgeoning British colony where convicts are sent to make amends and begin a new life. Elizabeth Harrington (Jeune Pritchard), engaged to Captain McEwan (Martin Phelan) is a respected woman of action and influence, who sets out to help female convicts rise above their abject conditions. But when she liberates a group of convicts and decides to accompany them into the wilderness, nothing prepares her for the considerable challenges that lay ahead. Befriended by a native girl named Kameragul (Lillian Crombie) the women establish a secret society in the outback where freedom is a priority and day-to-day survival a way of life.