George Needham didn't go to the Western District of Victoria to be the conscience of a frontier society. His plan, until he found himself immersed in the settlement war, was to establish an artists' colony. In a later time, Lydia Needham invites Tom Gelatly to assess George's legacy, and Sam Carmichael and Lenci Mednyánszky become involved. Sam, a teacher, is out of favour for expressing controversial opinions. Lydia's young friend Lenci fears the darkness in the human heart. Tom, an academic on sabbatical, thinks Australian historians have turned their backs on difficult issues and individuals. There are obstacles to progress. Squatters with records of past events are not inclined to share them. Interested locals are impatient for a progress report. Sam and Lenci are distracted by the state of the world, as well as by each other. And someone, no fan of dissidents past or present, means to end the Needham project once and for all.