As an ex-pat myself, I do feel Australian, although I may have come to Australia just on the border of the age when "being", as the author put it, could still be formed (I was 16).

I think that language is really the most important factor - not just speaking enough English to understand and be understood, but speaking with an Australian accent and making the same cultural references as the people around you.

I realised that I became a "real" Australian when people who I had known for a few weeks had no idea that I had grown up anywhere else.

As an ex-pat myself, I don't feel a need to belong to any country, but unlike NQD I did come here as an adult.

I feel no need to change my accent, I am happy and do feel that I belong in several circles of friends and activities, but as for something so big as a country, or even a whole continent, with people that I never even met - that makes no sense, it's too big!

Except for 2-3 years as a silly teenager, I never felt belonging to the country I grew up in anyway, so nothing to regret there, just good riddance.

I agree with you my friend. Cheers, Brian.