From Ashes to Ashes tells the story of Peter Morrison, a school teacher in rural New South Wales. His childhood is marred by WWII, and as he comes of age, Peter veers from his conservative parents' values. While he becomes a teacher with a family, he is also drawn into an affair, causing classroom scandal. With maturity, Peter rights his choices, retiring as a respected school principal. However, finally verging on dementia, he veers again from sanity.