 I came to Adelaide the winter of 1953 via Perth, but before that on a steamship, Esses Gorgon, it was really cold. I mean, I knew it would be cold, but I didn't expect to be that cold. The food was so different and you wouldn't believe what I survived on. They had the belief that raw eggs were good for you. So can you believe for the first two or three years, I lived in a diet of raw eggs, cakes and milk. Initially the most difficult thing was the cultural change, you know, that suddenly I felt extremely conspicuous and I was basically very shy and insecure. I still can't believe to this day that I had the nerve to stand up and sing. The idea of entertaining came out of sheer desperation wanting to connect with people. I must tell you that the Australian people were irrationally generous to me. The number of individuals who opened their hearts and their homes were unbelievable. I am eternally grateful for the kindness what the people have shown and my debt to this country will never be repaid in any shape or form. But I try, I try. I was summoned to the immigration office in June of 1966. When I was told, this very kind lady said to me that I can have permanent resident status, I ran to the nearest telephone and called the Crown Street Women's Hospital and spoke to a lady called Sahudra Tikharam. And I said to her, what are you going to do for the rest of your life? She says, why? I said, do you want to get married? When? I said, what about next week? So we were literally married the following week and the following year in 1967 I became an Australian citizen and it is singularly a very proud moment. I can't imagine anybody not wanting to be a citizen of this country, you know. To me it's a million dollar lottery ticket or even it's even but money can't buy that, money can't buy that. Anybody who's been here, who's eligible to become a citizen have no excuse but to become an Australian citizen even though I've been around the world. I think this is home. The question I've been asking myself ever since 9th of March 1967 is how lucky am I and what does this country mean to me? And the answer I came up with at that time was simply this. To begin at the beginning it's the house I live in, my neighbor's down the street. The proud and smiling faces of the people that I meet. The children, the playground, Christmas and the sun. The garay and the handshake, that's Australia to me. The town I live in, the friends that I have found. The people who just came here from nations all around. Those who built this country. The air of feeling free and the right to speak your own mind. That's Australia to me. Words of Banjo-Parrison, McCuller and Henry Lawson. The style of Donald Bradman, Dick Estella and Dame Joan. There's Smithy and Ben Lechson achievers with our peers and the dreaming of a people who've been here a million years. This land I live in, the goodness everywhere. A place of wealth and beauty with enough for all to share. Yes, I love the sunburned country. So vital, young and free. With a promise for tomorrow, that's Australia to me. But it's the people. Yes, especially the people. That's Australia to me.