BECOMING an Australian citizen was a matter of “jumping on the bandwagon” for Lisa Carney.
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A chance meeting with a young Aussie backpacker in the south of England 17 years ago led her across the world to a new life and she said she hadn’t looked back since.
“My daughter, who is nearly two, is Australian and my husband is Australian, so I thought I would join the bandwagon,” she said.
“I work for the city of Wangaratta and I co-ordinate the citizenship ceremony so I thought it was about time I became a citizen too.”
Mrs Carney was all smiles at Wangaratta yesterday as she received messages from her family in England.
She said the celebrations had been going all weekend.
“Today is very special — we’ve been camping all weekend and now we are celebrating here in Wangaratta. We will probably go to one of the wineries after,” she said.
“I love the landscape here and the beautiful people. Australian culture is brilliant, it suits me.”
Her husband Shane and daughter Ciara were there to help celebrate.
The couple settled in Melbourne in 1998 before moving for a more rural lifestyle two years ago.
Mr Carney said it was time for his wife to bite the bullet and become an Aussie.
“She has had no problem at all fitting in with Aussie culture,” he said.
“She sleeps in swags, she loves a barbecue and she drives a ute, so it’s all good.
“She’s as good as an Aussie now.”
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Howlong
Kiewa/Tangambalanga
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Wangaratta