Lilian's Tree

 I have been watching Inside Central Station,    on SBS, for the past 10 weeks and found it very interesting. Last Sunday, 14 November was the last show and they went into the unused train tunnels, under Sydney's Hyde Park. They were looking for World War 2 graffiti and found one that had the person's name, unit and service number, sooooooo guess what I did?  Yes I researched him. The photo is of the image on the TV, so it's not the best but it's enough to show that information.  I went to the Australian War Memorial website, but didn't find anything but they had links to the National Archives of Australia - Personal service records and the Department of Veterans' Affairs Nominal Rolls. I discovered that Robert Harry Dunkley   was born in 1924 in Adelaide, South Australia. Next of Kin was Nelly Dunkley. He enlisted 13 May 1934 and was discharged 15 July 1946. His posting at discharge was 14 Aust Work Coy. His rank was Private. As his Army Records aren'...

(very tongue in cheek.) There has been an on going discussion, in the Australian Parliament as to wether several members are really Australian citizens or by descent something else, entirely. This got me thinking; Am I really an Aussie? Could I really be a Pom?!  Let me explain. My Dad, Matthew, was born in The Colony of New South Wales, in October  1896, (yes that is correct). Making him a British Subject. Now  as I was born, pre 1983, I fell into a sort of grey area. This is from Wikipedia and is as confusing as anything, because you have to know which of the Acts, you are covered under. Now I was born AFTER 1948. Australia retained the status of British subject until the Australian Citizenship Amendment Act 1984 removed Part II of the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 effective on 1 May 1987. Between 1 January 1983 and 1 May 1987 a British citizen and an Australian citizen were both British subjects under Australian law, but not under United Kingdom law....