By Doug McClary

It seems a long time ago that we started thinking seriously about living in Australia. As any reader will appreciate, it was a huge decision to make. I am a proud Englishman, deeply patriotic and proud of my country which had served me well for in excess of 60 years. However, times are changing fast and in my opinion not all for the better of the country.

I have always been interested in politics, the law, and those of other countries, so the ever-deepening threat to my country posed by the so-called European Union did nothing to make me feel comfortable for my future within England, my England.

As many will know, my son already lived near Melbourne with his family where we had visited on a number of occasions. When my daughter and her family talked about moving to Australia also, it seemed almost a sensible thing to do so the seeds of the move were being nurtured. The decision was therefore taken to make application using the retirement visa route but as a pigeon fancier, that decision was made only when I knew that I would be able to take some of my birds across with me. In terms of simplicity, I had declared that if I could not take my birds, then I would not go.

Initial enquiries seemed to indicate that birds which had not been vaccinated against paramyxovirus would be acceptable to the Australia authorities so my plans were commenced on the basis of breeding a round of young birds and taking a selection of them for the foundation of my stud. I knew that birds were being allowed into Australia so I contacted Chris Schutz of South Australia who I knew and gained advice from him. He in turn mentioned Colin Jones of County Durham who was at that time using his premises as a quarantine station for a large export of pigeons from the UK to Australia. Nobody could have been more helpful or more discreet than Colin. He patiently told me of his experiences of one successful export arrangement and of his further knowledge gained by the birds at present held at his premises.

What he told me however opened up further possibilities for me. It seems that the presence of antibodies in the blood of pigeons produced by the vaccination breaks down and diminishes in strength in time. The measurement is in TITRES using the methodology described in directives and regulations which state that a positive serum is one showing level or titre of 2.4 or more. This measurement meant little to me at the time but indicated that some of my older favourites might be able to travel with me. My horizons were widening and my thoughts changed completely as to what I may be able to take.

Continued in 'Feathered World' October 2004 issue