In 1953, two young Italian children are promised in marriage by their fathers. Twenty one years on - despite changing times, fading traditions and 70's liberation - the pair are expected to marry, or face the consequences.

The lives of staff at the fictional Kings Cross Hospital and the wild streets of Darlinghurst in the 1960s. Joan Miller is a smart and sophisticated midwife who returns home from London to take a job at the Kings Cross Hospital. Dr Patrick McNaughton is a charismatic head of obstetrics at Kings Cross Hospital. Frances Bolton is the tough matron who also controls the running of Stanton House, a home for unwed pregnant young women.

A renowned artist must uncover a young dancer's secrets in order to truly capture her likeness for a commissioned work.