In the lead up to the 50th anniversary of the Act and to the centenary of Federation in 2001, Australians are beginning to focus on what it means to be Australian. In 1994 the Joint Standing Committee on Migration reported on the inquiry into the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 . In the foreword to the report, the Committee stated 'Citizenship is the cornerstone of national identity. Most people born in Australia are automatically citizens and most people born overseas have to apply to become citizens 1 . For this reason, the citizenship rates presented in this review exclude people born in Australia.
Citizens are eligible to enrol to vote and obliged to vote in elections and referendums.
Only citizens can be elected to public office. Citizens are entitled to seek diplomatic protection from Australian embassies and consulates overseas. Only citizens are eligible to serve on juries, to serve in the defence forces, or to gain permanent employment in the Australian Public Service. The citizenship rate is the number of overseas born residents in a group who reported that they were Australian citizens divided by the total number of overseas born residents in that group who reported their citizenship. Age and year of arrival Citizenship rates increase with age, particularly among those under the age of 50, and with period of residence, particularly among those who arrived before 1985.