On Boxing day, 1803, young English convict William Buckley escaped from custody at Sorrento. Victoria. He survived in the harsh wilds of the Australian bush for an incredible thirty-two years, adopted and assisted by local indigenous tribes. He rejoined civilisation in 1835 becoming an important guide and interpreter between the white settlers and the indigenous people. Yet as the Aborigines were engulfed by the flood of white man, Buckley found himself in a no-man's land, mistrusted by his former friends and the white society who misunderstood them. Buckley's reputation has suffered to this day. Here is a real Robinson Crusoe, a survivor; the story of the Southern Victoria tribes, who became Buckley's loyal family and the story of the European intruders imposing their harsh will on an ancient continent and people. His story is the origin of the Australian saying, "You've got two chances - Buckley's and none," meaning very little hope at all.