David Jones came to Australia as a ‘ten-pound pom’ almost 50 years ago and while he’s never wanted to go back, he did admit he had concerns about the land of his birth.

“I love the UK and I’d hate to see it split up,” Mr Jones said.

“But I would have voted to ‘leave’ as well.”

Mr Jones was born during WWII and grew up in Bournemouth, a seaside village on England’s south coast. As a boy, he joined his mother and brother on a cycling holiday through Europe, riding from Calais in France through Belgium and up into Holland. 

However, the majority of voters in the UK recently voted to leave the EU in a shock move that could soon make Mr Jones’ cycling memory a fantasy for young brits. He was concerned about rumours of borders being patrolled for the first time in decades that emerged after some European leaders reacted angrily.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday urged her fellow European Union leaders to react cautiously to Britain's vote to leave the EU, breaking with fellow European ministers who seek a swift and decisive divorce with Britain. 

Meanwhile, Scotland and Northern Ireland had both begun talking about staying with Europe, Mr Jones said, which could see the breakdown of the more than 300-year-old union.

“Why the Scots would want to leave the UK is beyond me,” he said.

Financial markets were also shaken by the news with the pound plunging to its lowest level since 1985 following the referendum on Thursday, the sterling down against every single major currency group.

Mr Jones was also concerned about what the decision would mean for his niece who had lived in Paris.

“I don’t know what will happen after these elections,” he said.

Even though the decision could mean the end of a unified Europe and the breakdown of the UK, Mr Jones said he probably would have voted to leave too.

“Some have changed their minds now though, there’s a petition to have another referendum already,” he said.