The Baynhams

Before Gina and I can vote, get an Australian passport and secure the kids' futures here in Australia we are required to become Australian Citizens.

This doesn't mean that we need to renounce our nationality, but we will have dual-nationalities. I'll still be Welsh, and Mrs B will still be the good looking Irish bird I met 13 years ago.

There are several steps required before citizenship can be obtained, and the first one is the hardest....the dreaded citizenship EXAM. Exam is a horrible word and I promised myself years ago I wouldn't sit another one. Nevertheless, I've been swotting for weeks now in preparation for an exam in Newcastle. It involves an interview and answering 20 questions about topics such as Australian history, culture, constitution and economy.

The questions aren't for the faint hearted, take a look at some practice questions:

• How many of the Australian troops had to work on the Thai-Burma railway, when the Japanese took the Great British base at Singapore?
• What is represented by the central blue panel of the Torres Strait Islander flag?
• What was the first task of the Labor party?
• Who are members of Executive Government other than ministers?
• Which court order allowed Aboriginal people to become owners of vast areas of outback Australia?
• Who made political efforts to make the vote for women in federated Australia?
• What is the percentage of indigenous people in Australia?

You get the idea....

Today was exam day for me, poor Gina takes hers in 2 weeks time. It was a busy morning rushing the kids to school before driving to the exam centre. After a nervy interview I was led into a computer room for the E.X.A.M.

Anyhow, the 45 minute multi-choice test only took me 3 minutes, and a shell shocked administrator asked me if everything was okay. She was more shell-shocked a few minutes later when the printer displayed my results.

100%

Happy Days ! Poor Gina has got a lot to live up to....

I'm not a citizen yet though, that will take up to another 12 months for processing and an official ceremony where we will both have to swear our allegiance. Watch this space...