Nick Dyrenfurth, ‘This amorphous concept’ An Australian Understanding of Citizenship

The idea of an ‘Australian citizen’ is a concept that is in a perpetual state of development. At the time of federation, Australians considered themselves to be British subjects and the only time ‘citizenship’ is mentioned in our Constitution is to bar citizens of a foreign power from siting in Parliament. Without a clear definition, the concept has gradually evolved through discourse and through practice, and a central figure in that evolution was Robert Menzies. For Menzies, citizenship was an organic idea, wrapped up in the acceptance of duty and the moral independence of the individual, which allowed them to freely and informedly exercise their vote come election time. It was also tied to the prospect of home ownership, which Menzies did so much to expand, and a nation of people who had a stake in their country and in its future.