Hi to all Green Apples
In 1969, I arrived in Queensland from New Zealand with my 10 month old son, Jason, to join my first Australian husband, Graham.
I met Graham Shand in Wellington, New Zealand, when I was on a break from Victoria University. I had a major illness which required extended recovery and, in that time, I engaged in some light work in a small film-making and graphic design business which made short documentaries and adverts for TV. Graham was the major photographer employed in the business. We were married before I attained 21 and he was 30 and we decided to move to Queensland.
In 1969, as a New Zealander married to an Australian, I was able to vote, purchase property and had virtually the same status as an Australian citizen. And over the years I became so busy with life and then in business that there seemed no point in becoming an Australian citizen. Any time I went overseas I used my New Zealand passport and, during the past 50+ years, I have thought of myself as a dual New Zealand/Australian person.
Every country has rules and regulations about the criteria they use to assess citizen’s and resident’s national security level and, if you are in business and doing work of any nature for the government, there is a requirement to have a very high rating.
For more than 45 years, since I founded the Green Apple Wellness Centre, I have met the necessary level. Now, in the world of AI and Double-authentication, my rating has dropped because I don’t have an Australian passport. My New Zealand passport Is no longer relevant.
Our wonderful bookkeeper, Michelle Hoven, organised everything I had to do to apply to become an Australian citizen and in March this year I was notified that I had been accepted.
I will be attending the official ceremony to make my pledge of commitment on Thursday, October 1, at the Royal International Convention Centre. I have been told to bring one guest only and asked Brian if he was interested in attending (because official meetings are not his favourite activity to indulge in) and he said something like “Bloody Oath I’m coming!!” so it looks like we will both be trotting along.
I’ll be thinking of you all as I make my vows because, as Reevesie stated, “You are joining the Gang now”. Cheers, Victoria
PS Remember Monday 5th is a Public Holiday and we will be open 6am till 10am. I would love to have a first coffee at AHOY as a full-blown Aussie that morning if anyone is interested in coming with me. Let me know. I’ll set a time and put a notice up for names (so I can alert AHOY) if you tell me “yes”.