The youngest son of the MacBride family, nearly 18 years old at the start of the novel. Intelligent and restless, he dreams of attending university and sailing around the world. Following a catastrophic vehicle accident that causes a severe brain injury, his memory is shattered and his personality altered, forcing him to painstakingly rebuild his identity while assuming unexpected family responsibilities.

The practical, tenacious daughter of the MacBride family, highly capable of wrestling rams and changing tires. Despite her outward strength, she feels suffocated by the strict patriarchal expectations of rural Australian society and yearns for a glamorous life elsewhere. She carries intense private guilt and relies on a childhood ritual to cope with her emotional burdens when life spins out of control.

The steadfast matriarch of the MacBride family, renowned throughout the district for her warmth and remarkable competence. When tragedy shatters her ordered existence, she is forced to step up and manage the massive Meredith Downs pastoral lease. She is deeply protective of her family's reputation and fiercely dedicated to holding her remaining loved ones together.

A taciturn, highly skilled marksman and former Japanese prisoner of war who works as a roo shooter on Meredith Downs. Pete lives an isolated life in a meticulously clean camp, keeping his past tightly guarded. Despite his solitary nature, he possesses a deep well of compassion and serves as a vital source of wisdom and stability for the MacBride children.

The youngest member of the MacBride household, Andy grows up as a solitary and observant child on the vast sheep station. Aware of the unspoken tensions within his family, he navigates his environment by learning which topics are forbidden. Fascinated by rocks and the natural world, he longs to understand his own history and parentage.

A determined and highly educated geologist leading a survey team for Hollamby Mining. Bonnie’s arrival at Meredith Downs represents the encroachment of the mining industry upon traditional pastoral lands. Despite the initial friction her presence causes, she proves to be empathetic, straightforward, and genuinely interested in the people who inhabit the land she studies.

The handsome son of a wealthy English lord, sent to Western Australia to learn the sheep-farming industry. Miles brings an air of sophistication and worldly elegance to the harsh outback environment, immediately standing out among the station hands. Though unfailingly polite, he maintains a respectful distance from the romantic overtures directed his way.

The firm, practical patriarch of the MacBride family and manager of the Meredith Downs pastoral lease. He runs the million-acre property with strict adherence to traditional sheep-farming methods, grooming his eldest son to succeed him. His sudden death in a vehicle accident shatters the family's established order.

The 22-year-old eldest son and designated heir to Meredith Downs. Warren mirrors his father in temperament and appearance, projecting arrogance and absolute confidence in his predetermined future as a station manager. He frequently clashes with his siblings and pushes for more aggressive agricultural strategies.

The district's disheveled but deeply trusted mailman, officially named William. Sneaky drives a massive route across the outback with his three-legged dog, Lightning. He serves as a vital communications link between the isolated stations and the outside world, renowned for his absolute discretion and his ability to make everyone he meets feel important.

The wife of the Wanderrie Creek postmaster, Myrtle is an avid reader of newspapers and a meticulous chronicler of local deaths and tragedies. She uses her position at the post office to monitor the community's packages and correspondence, piecing together private mysteries to distract herself from her own quiet sorrows.

The newly appointed police sergeant in Wanderrie Creek, armed with law and statistics degrees. Rundle represents a strict, inflexible approach to justice, clashing with the more lenient, community-focused methods of his predecessor. He systematically reopens old, defunct files, eager to enforce the letter of the law regardless of the social consequences.

A dedicated Flying Doctor and longtime friend of the MacBride family. He provides critical medical care across the vast outback, attending to everything from traumatic accidents to childbirth, and often navigating the complex personal dynamics of his remote patients.

Nicknamed "Humpty," he is Matt's childhood best friend from a wealthy pastoral family. Originally possessing a grand, detailed plan for his life involving professional cricket and station management, Humpty suffers a severe spinal injury that leaves him paralyzed, forcing him to drastically adjust his worldview.

The retiring local police sergeant whose approach to law enforcement prioritizes community stability and compassion over strict adherence to the penal code. His habit of burying sensitive cases to protect families eventually draws the ire of his rigid successor.

An 11-year-old boy from a mining town who becomes Andy MacBride's pen pal. Sharing Andy's interest in rocks and the natural world, Harry provides the isolated boy with a vital connection to someone his own age outside the boundaries of Meredith Downs.