Tonight, I was lucky enough to see Not Quite Australian: Citizenship and Belonging, a talk that had already piqued my interest. I have been meaning to go to The Wheeler Centre for a while now. As Melbourne’s self-professed, and well-reputed, centre of ‘Books, Writing, Ideas’, it has always intrigued me. And clearly many others as its popularity often leads to sell out events.

This discussion felt particularly relevant. Both as someone who considers myself politically aware, and as someone who has lived in Australia for many years and and not found the path to citizenship easy, there were many aspects of this discussion that I was looking forward to.

The well-attended evening was chaired by Santilla Chingaipe from SBS World News. The panel was simply composed of two journalists. Kristina Kukolja’s recent documentary Unwanted Australians, has covered the plight of many that arrived in Australia and were denied citizenship for often unknown reasons. Peter Mares’ current book (that helped give the event its title) Not Quite Australian explores issues of temporary migrants.

Despite the historical context of Kukolja’s work, and the more sweeping nature of Mares’ points regarding perpetual nature of many in contemporary Australia that move between visas, while being denied the eventual carrot of citizenship, there were many overlapping issues. Indeed they were generally able to reinforce each other’s standpoints and build on them. I did feel that this narrowed the discussion somewhat, and a ‘devil’s advocate’ could have teased out or tested some of their statements.

When questions were open to the floor, I wished I had prepared. Had I read or seen the journalist’s work, I may have felt in a position to press or question a point, and raise issues that I have experienced. This in itself was my lesson for the evening. The Wheeler Centre is a place for ‘Books, Writing, Ideas’, after all.

I encourage everyone to look at the events at The Wheeler Centre. I am sure everyone can find something to go to. I will definitely be back, and by then, if I am lucky enough, by that time I shall have my citizenship.

– Duncan
Duncan was the most illegible bachelor in town, but times have changed, although he is still a purveyor of Melbourne’s surprising, quirky, and cultural events.

Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of The Wheeler Centre.
Image credit: The Wheeler Centre.