A strong constitution for all things Australian

David and Camilla at the National Museum of Australia in July

David and Camilla Shaw were granted citizenship at a Constitution Day ceremony in Canberra in 2010 with an impressive crowd descending on the National Museum of Australia to celebrate with the couple.

‘There were 56 friends, family and colleagues there for us – I guess the room would have been a lot emptier if it wasn’t for us,’ David said jokingly.

‘It was very moving. There were people there from all walks of life – and to have so many – it was very lovely.’

The couple first travelled to Australia in the late 1980s to visit their daughter Vanessa and her Australian husband, immediately falling in love with ‘the sunshine and big skies’.

‘I was struck by the friendliness of Australians, the informality and the outdoor life,’ Camilla said.

‘I have always felt a part of the country. It is a privilege and an honour to become an Australian citizen.’

When their first granddaughter was born, David and Camilla started making annual visits from their native Scotland to become more involved as grandparents.

‘A year in a child’s life is a long time,’ David said. ‘With every visit we made, our granddaughters changed so much it was like looking at a different child. We wanted to be more a part of their lives.’

The mass of proud onlookers at the couple’s July 9 ceremony is a testament to the contribution David and Camilla have made to the Canberra community since travelling to Australia on retirement visas in May 2003 and later applying for permanency through the family migration stream.

‘We spent six months here in a rented property,’ Camilla said. ‘We wanted to make sure this was what we really wanted and that we could be independent of our family here.’

Fitting in wasn’t a problem for the couple, and they developed relationships with a wide range of organisations - from the Monaro Bush dance display group to their local church, the Australian Native Plant Society and the National Zoo and Aquarium.

David also works as a volunteer with Pegasus, an organisation that takes young handicapped children for weekly horse-riding lessons, as well as sitting on the management committee and working on fundraising projects.

Camilla has volunteered with the reading service for the print handicapped at 1RPH, as well as performed with the Scottish Country Dancers at the Floriade, Multicultural and National Folk festivals.

She even trained as an interpretative guide with the National Capital Authority, leading tours at the National Capital Exhibition, Blundell’s Cottage, the Carillon, Anzac Parade, Old Parliament House Rose Gardens and the Lakeside.

‘It has been a wonderful experience – learning all about Canberra and Australia – and sharing my love of the city with others,’ Camilla said.

David believes it is important to him and Camilla to give back to their ‘adopted country’.

‘Australia’s been good to us,’ David said. ‘This is our home now and it’s wonderful to be here. I feel like we’re repaying something.’

Constitution Day on July 9 is the occasion that marks Australia ’s creation as a nation, the day in 1900 when Queen Victoria gave royal assent to the Constitution.

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