This collection of essays explores historical, geographical and cultural factors that contribute to our understanding of places and settings of Australian transient communities. From Gwalia and Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, Charters Towers in Queensland, Broken Hill in New South Wales and Queenstown in Tasmania, the places provide opportunity to revisit sites of history from the different angles of architecture, landscape theory, social history and visual arts. They also provide a springboard for thinking through the pressing issues for contemporary Australians and counterparts in other ‘post-settler’ societies.