Nell Hope escapes the constraints of being the daughter of one of Australia's leading merino breeders to pursue her dream of becoming an artist in Paris. At the same time, Alec Murray turns his back on the legal career his father has mapped out for him to try his luck converting scrub country in Central Western New South Wales into viable farming land.

Hitler's march into Europe brings their dreams to a shuddering halt.

Nell's forced home to work on the family property, while Alec enlists and joins the war effort in on the other side of the world.

Over champagne in Sydney's glamourous new nightclub, Nell and Alec begin a whirlwind wartime romance. But their experiences of the war change them. Together, they're driven by a vision of a new, fairer Australia, even though they know they'll be ostracised by family and friends alike as they work to achieve it.

Based on real people and events in Australian history, Painting the Light is a story of love between two people and their love for their country.