When Europeans landed in New Zealand in the nineteenth century, they brought with them a culture that had been shaped over thousands of years - a culture that determined their values and attitudes, their food and dwellings, their occupations and recreation. In the crates and portmanteaus carried off the ships were the material trappings of that culture. While many excellent general histories begin with the arrival of Maori and Europeans in New Zealand, this epic and fascinating book goes back to the beginning to address some fundamental questions about European New Zealanders: Where did they come from? What sort of people were they? What does the heritage of Europe mean to New Zealanders? How did the Europeans become 'Pakeha' and gain a sense of place?