In 1886, in a paddock in Southern Queensland, a fossilised skull was discovered. In 1914, it caused a sensation in scientific circles. But only recently have serious attempts been made to establish its age. The professor of anatomy at Sydney University, N. W. G. Macintosh, believes it could tell us something of the origin of the aboringines and link them with similar finds in Java. His first task was to discover exactly were the skull was found.

If the information were attainable, it could only be ferreted out from among the small rural communities of the Darling Downs. And the solving of that problem suddenly became more absorbing and informative than the mere quest for the source of the Talgai Skull...