Well, I’ve gone and done it now. Yesterday, at 5pm local time I became an Australian.
Its quite a formal process you know. I received a letter from the Department of Immigration in July saying I had been accepted, but you don’t become an actual Aussie until you take the oath of citizenship. This is done at special citizenship ceremonies organised by local councils. So I dutifully toddled off to Manly Council yesterday afternoon for my ceremony. Whilst my cheer squad looked on, I swore to do various things and received in return a lovely certificate, an electoral enrolment form and a native tree. Oh, and they can’t chuck me out of the country now.