Advance Australia Fair?

 Another of those slightly bizarre, quite surreal Citizenship ceremonies.  Spike submitted herself to the final part of the process in a beige / brown room on the upper floor (above the pokies) of 'Club Ashfield' (aka The Catholic Club).

There were rows of well-ordered seats for those taking the pledge (people swearing an oath at the front, those affirming at the back).  Guests like me sat at the side.  The official party - Mayor with chains of office that weighed him down, Mayor's wife, some Councillors, a parliamentary staffer (with regulation ALP-style suit) of the absent local MP (Virginia Judge), the uniformed co-ordinator of the local State Emergency Service, an Evangelical Christian Minister who got to speak about one's right as a free Australian citizen to encounter Jesus Christ, the RC local priest who spoke too but at least mentioned one's right to not believe as well as to believe whatever you want to - all sat facing the serried ranks of soon to be Australians.

People waited patently to be called, received their certificates, posed for photographs then selected a native plant from a group on a table near the door as they left.  It's an odd but necessary ritual.  For Spike, it's done.

Don't even ask who didn't quite take the photo.
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