Crowe fair dinkum on Australian passport

Australians will soon be able to claim New Zealander Russell Crowe as one of their own.

The 37-year-old Oscar winner has applied for Australian citizenship after discovering that it will not affect his status as a New Zealand citizen.

A change in Australian law means New Zealanders, Canadians and Britons can have dual citizenship.

"I'll take an Australian passport but I'm not going to deny my heritage, my New Zealand relatives, or the fact that part of my family is Maori," said Crowe.