Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-228) and indexes.

Pt. 1. The geographical background -- Ocean and islands -- pt. 2. The great migrations -- Aboriginal Australia -- Across the great ocean -- Changing worlds of the islands -- pt. 3. Post-European contact -- The Pacific and the European imagination -- Frontiers and resistance -- A community of thieves -- The white tribes of the Antipodes -- The South Pacific today.

"This Atlas examines the founding myths that shaped Australia and New Zealand's emergent national identities and looks at the great changes that have taken place since 1945, with former colonial ties and values giving way to an official doctrine of multiculturalism, and to resurgent forms of indigenous culture. The final chapter surveys the world of the South Pacific since decolonization as its newly independent nations seek to ensure a secure economic future for all its peoples. The specially compiled maps and richly illustrated features on such diverse topics as Aboriginal art, body adornment in Papua New Guinea, Gauguin, the Maori meeting house and the forging of the Gallipoli legend make this an invaluable historical introduction to an endlessly fascinating and culturally complex region."