Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Carly Gilchrist: Citizenship is about much more than historical trivia

The Life in the UK citizenship test wasn’t just an administrative hurdle; it stirred deep uncertainty about identity and belonging.

The Life in the UK test allows 45 minutes to answer 24 questions based on the test handbook. Image: mundissima/Shutterstock
The Life in the UK test allows 45 minutes to answer 24 questions based on the test handbook. Image: mundissima/Shutterstock

Do you know how many members there are in the Welsh parliament? Or which English King defeated the Vikings?

I do, and because of that I am now allowed to live in Scotland indefinitely – almost 20 years after I first moved here.

In 2004, I embarked on a two-year working holiday adventure, leaving behind my hometown of Melbourne and my family and friends for the excitement of London.

It was something that I had been planning and dreaming about for years. Little did I know that this trip would take a different turn, leading me to a city and a country that captured my heart from the moment I set foot in it: Edinburgh in Scotland.

Edinburgh’s allure wasn’t just about its historic beauty; it was also the warmth of its people, and the sense of belonging I felt that struck a chord with me. As an Australian, this was a place that felt more like home than my actual home in Melbourne.

Years before, I had made a trip with my family to Central Australia, while my sister was studying to become a pilot. It was like going to visit a foreign land in my own country: a place that nobody in their comfortable Australian city life talks about.

I had never felt hugely connected to my home, and I didn’t really understand why. But that trip prompted questions I had never considered before about the original inhabitants of the country we took for granted.

So, after university, I took a chance and went travelling to see what else was out there. In 2006, I had my first child, Finn, in Edinburgh, further deepening my connection to the city. Then, in 2007, I crossed paths with my future husband while working at Edinburgh City Council.

Settling in Scotland

After many happy years, I longed for home again, and a desire to show my husband and my child where I was from eventually led us back to Melbourne in 2011. I wanted my son to experience his heritage and Australian schooling.

In 2015, I gave birth to my second son, Hamish, in Melbourne. Despite the joy of being surrounded by my family, there was a persistent tug pulling us back to Scotland. My husband’s parents were growing older, and the need to be closer to them became undeniable.

In 2018, we made our return to Scotland, settling in Dundee. It was a new adventure for both of us, but the city’s size, compared to the sprawling metropolises of Melbourne and even Edinburgh, appealed to us.

Carly Gilchrist pictured with her baby son

No longer did we need to endure long commutes to work; we could embrace a more manageable lifestyle, surrounded by amazing new places to explore, and with water in sight. Something that maybe my inner-Australian was drawn to.

This journey led me to my final settlement visa stage, culminating in the “Life in the UK” test. The process wasn’t just an administrative hurdle; it stirred deep uncertainty about my identity and belonging.

The questions on the test seemed to belong to a bygone era. Who was given the title of Lord Protector in the 17th century? What is the Magna Carta? Who was Boudica? These facts felt distant and irrelevant to my daily life in Dundee.

But what concerned me more was that these questions acted as arbitrary gatekeepers, doubting the worth of someone who had called this country home for nearly two decades.

Citizenship is about community and belonging, not trivia

As I spent my precious downtime studying the suggested texts, I wondered how many of my Scottish friends would be able to answer these questions. But, of course, most people I know wouldn’t have to answer them; they can stay because of their birthright.

I come from Melbourne – a city built upon culture diversity, despite its uncomfortable past, and my ideal vision of a diverse society.

Maybe I fly under the radar because of my married Scottish name and the fact that I probably don’t look any different to most people who were born in Scotland. But questioning somebody’s contribution to society and their community just because they don’t know who Admiral Nelson is is baffling and upsetting.

Flinders Street Station in Melbourne, pictured in 2016. Shutterstock.
Melbourne might not have felt like a forever home for Carly, but its diverse culture is a huge plus. Image: DavidWebb/Shutterstock

This experience was further complicated by recent events in my home country. The Australian Voice referendum’s outcome – where Australians voted against a change to the constitution that would ultimately give Indigenous Australians a voice in decisions affecting their communities – highlights a glaring paradox.

Aboriginals have lived in Australia for more than 65,000 years, the rightful owners of the land, and they have been denied a say in how their people are treated. It seems that sometimes those who know the least about a country’s history or culture enjoy the most rights and privileges, purely because they were born there.

It is imperative that our societies reflect the diversity of the people who call them home. It’s not about knowing trivia – it’s about understanding and appreciating the value that each and every individual brings.


Carly Gilchrist is Head of Brand Marketing at DC Thomson

Conversation