The 1860s, Australia. The family of teenager Ned is impoverished, and his mother does not shy away from prostitution to feed her children. When their father dies in prison after being jailed for a cow's leg stolen by Ned, the boy is overwhelmed with guilt. Later, he goes with his mother's new acquaintance Harry Power to drive cattle, but soon discovers that his mother has sold him to the bandit, and now Ned must help Harry deceive travelers so they can rob and kill them. This marks the beginning of the adult life journey of the subsequently famous outlaw Ned Kelly.