Mr Ruddock said the Australia Day ceremonies marked the beginning of a year of events to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Australian citizenship. I am delighted with the support shown to date for the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Australian citizenship, including the issue of a commemorative stamp by Australia Post and the inclusion by more than 200 local councils of the 50th anniversary theme in local activities. It is not widely recognised that although Australia will soon be celebrating the centenary of its Federation, Australian citizenship is today only 50 years old. Before 26 January 1949 we were all British subjects. Today, we are proud of our accomplishments as a nation, and of our citizenship.
Australian citizenship involves both privileges and responsibilities.
The beneficiaries of this commitment are not just those acquiring citizenship, but the Australian community at large. Interest in acquiring Australian Citizenship continues to be high, with some 258,000 calls registered to the national citizenship telephone service in 1998. In 1997-98, some 112,000 people from 140 different countries became Australian citizens.