Australia may be nearly 120 years old - but Australian citizenship is a newer concept

Australian citizenship recipients and their guests attend a citizenship ceremony on Australia Day in Brisbane, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017. Source: AAP

Australia has been an independent nation for more than 118 years, but citizenship in this country is a much newer concept. So in the lead up to the 70th anniversary of Australian citizenship let's take a look at how and why it was introduced.