A fascinating tale based on the lives of Sir Edward (Bill) and Lady Ursula Hayward.
Bill Hayward can't see a future for himself in Adelaide, so he leaves to become a jackeroo at Haddon Rig in outback Australia. It's his older brother, Ian, who is destined to become a 'shopkeeper' and eventually take over as head of John Martin's, the family's department store. Bill's dream is to be successful but with no knowledge of how to run a sheep station, he quickly finds he has a lot to learn, and not everyone wants to help him.
On a trip back home, Bill meets Ursula Barr Smith, the youngest daughter of one of Australia's richest men. Ursula appears to have an eye for the young 'cowboy', but he returns to life on the land. He is called back to Adelaide as his father's nemesis, Sir Geoffrey Kingsman, is trying to take control of the family business.
Love brings Bill and Ursula together but World War II shatters their plans when Bill joins the army. While he is away, Sir Geoffrey Kingsman continues his malicious ways, and Ursula is drawn into the conflict with Kingsman.
The Shopkeeper of Carrick Hill provides a window into the rich and interesting lives of two of Adelaide's most prominent families during the 1930s and 1940s.
