MICHAEL Chesters is feeling a "lot happier" after being officially recognised as an Australian citizen, 63 years after arriving in the country.
Federal member for Shortland Pat Conroy held a citizenship ceremony on Monday for English-born Mr Chesters, 74, who said the time had come after six decades to take the next step.
"I'm a lot happier now," said Mr Chesters, from Cardiff.
"I'm legit, I'm an Australian citizen! It's good, satisfying.
"It's taken me 60 years to do it, but I'm glad I have."
Mr Chesters emigrated from Crewe aged 11 with his parents and older sister in 1957.
He said he only started considering citizenship recently.
"I never really thought about it, I was quite happy to go along with the way things were," he said. "[But] when I eventually depart this world I want to depart it as an Australian."
Mr Chesters said his parents decided to relocate to a warmer climate for their children's health.
"I do have a lot of respect for my parents , particularly my father, because my parents owned their own home in England," he said.
"To sell up, pack up and come out here, it was many many years later I started to realise the gamble that my father took, but luckily it worked out well."
The family sailed on the New Australia and lived at the Mayfield West migrant camp for two years.
Mr Chesters said his parents planned to move to Adelaide, but decided to stay in Newcastle due to their children being settled at school.
Mr Chesters attended Mayfield West Public School and Newcastle Boys Technical High School.
He started an electrical apprenticeship at BHP and then "went hawking".
"I used to set up on the corner of Sandgate Road and the highway and sell stuff out the back of the truck... glasswear, anything I could find at the right price, car radios."
He also used to sell in western NSW and then became an agent distributor for importers.
Mr Chesters went into semi-retirement, rebuilt his house and started volunteering as a guide at Fort Scratchley, where he started thinking seriously about citizenship.
"Even though I was not in the services, they took me under their wing," he said.
"I said 'Look I feel a bit uncomfortable wearing this army uniform because a) I have never served but b) I have such incredible respect for the Australian soldier, I always have.
"He [the last commander of the fort before it was decommissioned] said 'Don't worry about it, do the job to the best of your ability, make sure you're tidy because you're representing the soldiers and you'll be right'," he said.
Mr Chesters said the one-on-one citizenship ceremony felt more personal than if he had been part of a larger group.
"It was special to me... I do feel privileged," he said. "I think when I get home and reflect on it I think it will mean even more to me than what it does now."
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