The play begins with two intertwined plots. The first plot is about Alec, a native Australian who struggles with his identity as a mixed-race person, and the second plot is about the history of colonization in Australia. The story of colonization begins with the British settlement in Australia, where they meet Yagan's parents and establish a colony near Swan River. Yagan is an aborigine who later becomes friends with Will, a white settler, but is threatened by another officer, Jenkin.
As time passes, Will and his wife Alice discover that Yagan has killed two whites for killing his brother, and Yagan escapes from prison. The government offers a reward for anyone who catches Yagan, and he is eventually shot and killed by a young boy who pretends to befriend him. After colonization, interracial marriages between natives and settlers occur, resulting in half-aborigine children struggling to establish a single identity.
In the second act, the story focuses on the life of Alec's father, Thomas, who is arrested and forced to live in a settlement area due to his mixed-race identity. Thomas tries to escape four times and is imprisoned for six months for each attempt. After his release, Thomas is ordered to live with his family in his desired area. Alec becomes an Army officer but struggles with his identity as a mixed-race person, which leads him to become a drunkard. He eventually marries Rosie and they have a son named Jamie.
In the play's final act, Jamie returns from studying abroad and quarrels with Alec over his drinking habit. The play ends with Alec and Jamie realizing their freedom and the importance of their home in their lives. The story highlights the struggles of mixed-race people in Australia and the impact of colonization on the aboriginal community.
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