AustLit

'The action takes place against the background of Federation, with Australia on the brink of independence. The scene is set in a remote town in western Queensland in 1900. Archie Callaway, a popular local identity, farmer and keen advocate of Federation, has died. The opera opens with his funeral and the arrival of his surviving brother to lay claim to a half share in the property.

'The story centres around the dead man’s widow and her spirited daughter Veronica. Caught in a plot of domestic violence played out in the context of Victorian morality, they pin their hopes on women gaining the vote in the new nation. This, they believe, will deliver equal rights and justice in future. The three men implicated in the family tragedy must wrestle with their consciences to find a way forward, which for each of them involves a different choice.' (Production summary)