Quicksands is the story of the key role that the foundation of European settlement plays in shaping how Australians and New Zealanders see their national identities. In history, popular culture, literature, art and film, those early years are re-imagined and retold.The contributors in this book bring new insights to a diversity of foundational stories, from the paintings of Eugene von Guerard and the Port Jackson Painter to Jane Campion's film, The Piano. The contributors are well-known figures in the disciplines of history, anthropology and art history. The contributors include: Tim Rowse, Deborah Bird Rose, Paul Carter, Greg Dening, Judith Binney, Stephen Turner, Jonathan Mane-Wheoki and Claudia Bell.