Skippy, probably the biggest Australian export since Fosters.
The man who has breathed new life into Skippy the bush kangaroo, Stephen Oliver, finally becomes an Australian citizen tomorrow in a day of celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Australian Citizen Day.
British born Stephen was approached by a Perth production house who wanted him to make a documentary about the bush kangaroo. The result is a heartwarming, touching and funny reminiscence about the television series that captured worldwide attention. The documentary will air on ABC1 on Thursday at 8.30pm Australian time.
Of his citizenship ceremony, Stephen Oliver commented: “It will be a big Aussie day for me!�
He revealed that in one of his letters to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship he mentioned that he was working on a documentary about Skippy. The Department called him the very next day offering to bring his citizenship ceremony forward.
“Many friends used to joke to me that making a documentary about Skippy was about as Aussie as you could get and they should just give you a passport for that – and it has almost turned out to be the case.�
Australian citizenship first came into being in 1949 as a validification of the Nationality and Citizenship Act. Before the Act was introduced, most Australian residents were British subjects. Tomorrow will see more than 4500 people from 120 countries becoming Australian citizens.
Senator Chris Evans from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship said that the day allowed Australians to reflect on what it is to be Australian. “The 60th anniversary of Australian citizenship is an opportunity for us to reflect on the changes that have shaped our nation over the past 60 years.�
Citizenship ceremonies will take place in most cities across Australia tomorrow including Victoria, where the first US Ambassador to Hanoi after the Vietnam War will become a citizen and Adelaide Zoo will welcome 25 conferees who will also be getting their Australian passports.
Why not share your memories of Skippy the bush kangaroo with us? Just type your comments in the comments box at the end of this page, it couldn’t be easier!
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