John Leary boards ship in Ireland in 1850, a young immigrant carpenter ambitious for a new life in Australia. He sails with revenge in his heart–his beloved sister has been raped by her landlord, William Baxterhouse, who escapes on another ship. In Sydney, hard workers like Leary and ruthless newcomers like Baxterhouse find a city fired by the Gold Rush and dedicated to creating the finest buildings in the colony. |