In August 1851, the discovery of gold in Ballarat, Australia, sent shockwaves across the world. Hordes of adventurers flocked to the new land of the golden dream, encountering a harsh and often violent land. Despoiled by bushrangers, brutalised by the old convict system and torn by class conflicts, it took a certain kind of settler to rise to the challenges of the new country. Boston-born Christopher Cobb is one of those people. Seasoned with experience gained in the Californian gold rush, Chris' job is to find rights if way through the arid terrain of New South Wales, survey new lines of communication, and secure lucrative contracts for his expanding stagecoach business. He is a gentlemen, yet no stranger to violence, and has a hatred of injustice in any form - a trait that leads him into highly dangerous situations. In a land that has no sympathy for weaklings, Chris becomes whatever man he needs to be.