Island-bred illusions? : tracing myths of national identity

My aims in writing this dissertation were to examine the development of New Zealand culture as it relates to the idea of a national identity. More specifically I became interested in the myths, stereotypes and attitudes New Zealanders have had and still have about ourselves and how those myths have changed over time. The idea that a colony can mature and find a distinct character or identity of its own apart from its colonial parents became a focus in my reading; wanting to find out whether New Zealand has reached a stage of cultural independence from Britain and Europe, or simply changed one set of dependencies for another based in America