For 67 years, from 1788 to 1855, ten men held the fate of modern Australia in their hands. They were the governors, the supreme leaders of the Australian colonies. These ten made decisions every day that could spell the difference between life and death for thousands.

They were sailors, soldiers, builders, explorers, administrators, humanitarians, disciplinarians, scientists, visionaries, aristocrats. Some had massive egos, some generated enthusiastic support, some were loathed and hated. Above all, they were leaders.

This is the story of how these ten leaders used their power and authority to carve out a home for many unwilling settlers on the edge of a hostile continent far from the place they called home. It is a showcase of how power was used to create a new society from nothing, and how poorly such men were rewarded for their deeds.

From the very first days they shaped a social and legal system that forms the basis of modern Australia. They ushered in democratic systems that ultimately robbed them of their supreme power.

From Phillip to FitzRoy, these are The Governors.