Adrian and Gillian Hume were living in England when they decided to make the "huge" move away from their relatives to live in Australia 14 years ago.

The couple and two of their three children became Australian citizens at a Golden Plains Shire Council virtual citizenship ceremony last month.

The Humes have made their family home at Bannockburn, close to Ford's You Yangs Proving Ground where Mr and Mrs Hume work as interface engineers.

Mrs Hume said there were a number of reasons her family chose to move from England to Australia, including better house prices and more lifestyle opportunities.

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"England was getting overcrowded and there were more options in Australia," Mrs Hume said.

"It was a huge move, to move to the other side of the planet completely."

Mrs Hume said they had no family in Australia when they first moved, although one family member has since joined them.

"Lifestyle-wise, I would not change it. The only thing is the family we left behind; we have missed events like wedding and births. There is always pros and cons."

The sheer distance between Australian places shocked the Humes after living in England meant some countries, including Germany and Rome, were within a two-hour flight.

The family notices other differences between the countries that surprise them, including Australia's vastness.

"We have been back to England three to four times and the kids get a shock. England has really small gardens," Mrs Hume said.

She said she found the Australia's seasons bizarre and noticed residents went into 'hibernation' during winter, which was unlike the English who were so used to getting out in the cold and wet weather.

"Christmas in summer is really bizarre," Mrs Hume said.

Last month's citizenship ceremony was held over Zoom due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The ceremony was livestreamed so families and friends could tune in live and celebrate the occasion.

The cohort of new citizens was diverse, with residents originating from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Singapore, New Zealand and Ireland.

The shire's newest citizens came from all corners of the municipality, including Meredith, Scarsdale, Teesdale, Ross Creek and Bannockburn.

They included Tsjipke Van der Veen, Brian McCarthy, Marshia Nishita, Patricia Skelton, Qian Yeo and Adrian, Gillian, Cliona and Sean Hume.

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