The Lone Protestor spans the life of Anthony Martin Fernando. It considers his story from his birthplace in Sydney in 1864, through his internment in First World War Austria and the political protests he staged in Europe and Britain in the inter-war years, to his final years in World War II London. The first half of Fernando's life in 19th century Australia, his separation from his mother at an early age and his witnessing of injustices towards Aboriginal people would become the source of a series of innovative political actions carried out between 1903 and 1938 in Australia and Europe.

He was an activist outside Australia decades before other Aboriginal women and men went overseas to campaign in person. During a diverse career of activism, he exploited modern media in Europe and England, the busy urban streets of major cities, and the British court system, engaging local and international crowds, newspaper readers, and audiences in public spaces in a debate about the ethics of colonial rule.