People were officially welcomed into the community as Australian citizens at a local Australian citizenship ceremony last week.
Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin OAM presented 13 people with their Australian citizenship certificates at the Mount Gambier council chamber.
“They are one of my favourite events that I get to preside over as Mayor, the recipients are just so excited to receive their citizenship and it is a real joy to be able to participate in those ceremonies,” Mayor Martin said.
“They are just so happy to be receiving their citizenship.
“We had people from across several cultures and they bring such a vibrancy to our city, I enjoy the fact they wear their national costume to our ceremonies too and they are so proud of their heritage.”
At the ceremony, Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven spoke about how significant of an event taking on Australian citizenship was.
“That was brought home to me when my late father became a citizen, my parents were from England and Scotland,” Minister Scriven said.
“I very clearly remember the pride on my father’s face when he was receiving his citizenship and it really struck me then what that meant and how significant it was.”
Mayor Martin said she was proud to welcome these people as Australian citizens into the community.
“They have been living here for a few years but to have that acknowledgement they have taken that step to become Australian citizens is really wonderful and I do enjoy welcoming them,” she said.
“It just enriches our community, and we are an embracing community too which is lovely, and we do welcome the diversity.”
Minister Scriven said she attended several citizenship ceremonies and people from many different parts of the world are taking on Australian citizenship.
“I think it is a real sense of the value of the diversity that we have in our society and in our community,” she said.
“It really does add to the fabric of all of Australia, I think, and the fabric of South Australia, because we do have all that diversity and that makes lots of different contributions in different ways, which can only enrich us as a state.
“How pleased we are they have chosen to take citizenship and there is no doubt they will make a huge contribution to Australia as citizens.”
