In the early 1870s, a New Zealand army officer, Captain George Scott, is caught cheating at cards and brutally beats a fellow officer. Disgraced and discharged, he joins the clergy and falls in love with the beautiful Ruth Clarke, whose brother has embezzled a large amount of money and is going to be arrested. For her sake he robs the Edgerton Bank, and arranges to leave by boat to England. The police arrive as he gets on the boat the Lady Isabelle and although he attempts to swim away he is wounded and arrested. Constables Ryan and Mae have their first case.
The plot concerns the rivalry between two neighboring sheep stations, Enderby and Waratah. This version includes the subplot about the bushranger Ben Hall which was not used when the play was adapted again in 1933.
A Melbourne playboy, Oliver White, is murdered as he is driven home one night in a hansom cab. Investigating the crime encompasses all aspects of Melbourne society. The scenes featured in the movie were:
Graham, an unhappily married surveyor, goes on a job to New Zealand where he falls in love with a Maori woman. She becomes pregnant and died in childbirth. Graham puts his daughter in the care of Maori Jack, who later kills Graham. However his daughter (Lottie Lyell) inherits his property and falls in love with a jackeroo called Jim.