AUSTRALIA has gained 52 new citizens from Bathurst alone, those people taking the citizenship pledge in front of their community on Australia Day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's one of the biggest groups of new citizens seen on Australia Day in Bathurst in recent years.
They came from all across the world, representing Philippines, India, Spain, France, Thailand, the United States of America, Ireland, Vietnam, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Netherlands, Chile, Ukraine, Pakistan, Malawi, Nepal, Poland, South Africa, Namibia, the Syrian Arab Republic, Colombia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Several large families became citizens together, while others did so on their own.
Some people had been in Australia for just a couple of years, others have called the country home for decades.
The new citizens are:
- Noemi Atienza Alcantara
- Ankit Kumar
- Sean Brian Avni
- Cedric Robert Marcel Bezamat
- Parichat Chantawaro
- Molly Elizabeth Conly
- Geraldine Anne Daunt
- Jessica Maeve Daunt McLeay
- Rowena Pacio Estela
- Jose Dion Emmanuel Pacio Estela
- Jose Maria Antonio Pacio Estela
- Nhat An Ho
- Susanne Hadley
- Josephine Anne Jolliffe
- Ramanndeep Kaur
- Ajuni Kaur
- Rekha Devi
- Nathan KLINKENBERG
- Danissa Carolina Leal Morales
- Kostiantyn Liakhov
- Awaiz Shahzad Samuel J Mall
- Angus Alexander Forbes Ogilvie
- Lani Lapa An Ongyod
- Rubina Parajuli Khatri
- Reyan Khatri
- Ewelina Robinson
- Erika Rudman
- Lian Rudman
- Luke Rudman
- Samjhana Sharma Poudel
- Teunor Johann Slabber
- Faraz Rasool Syed
- Minna Rasool
- Syed Ashar Rasool
- Diana Maritza Stait
- Rajendra Upadhyaya
- Sangita Paudel Upadhyaya
- Sarwani Upadhyaya
- Sushant Upadhyaya
- Rowan Morrison Savage
- Waleed Mostafa Dahshan
- Abdelaziz Mostafa Dahshan
- Mostafa Hassan Ahmed Dahshan
- Abdulrahman Mostafa Hassan Ahmed Dahshan
- Ali Mostafa Hassan Ahmed Dahshan
- Hossam Mostafa Dahshan
- Omar Mostafa Hassan Ahmed Dahshan
- Yassein Mostafa Hassan Ahmed Dahshan
- Naglaa Mahmoud Hassan Khalil
- Nadine Melinda Barry
- Carter David Barry
- Ryan Barry
Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee, said Australia Day was a special day for not just the country, but for these 52 people ready to become Australian citizens.
"It is quite a milestone and certainly something to celebrate," he said.
"For generations, people have been coming to this country to build their futures.
"I've been lucky enough to do a bit of travelling in my days and I can tell you Australia is one of the few countries where you can build your own future. You have the freedom to be whatever you want to be and I haven't seen a country that is better than this one that we all call home."
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
Councillor Marg Hogan, who watched the ceremony from the audience, said it's one of her favourite events in Bathurst and really special to watch.
"That lovely moment at the end of the ceremony where everybody stands up and applauds all the new citizens, it's a very moving moment," she said.
She was also pleased to see so many community members there to welcome the new citizens.
"We're becoming a far more multicultural city than we were many years ago and it's a beautiful thing," she said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.westernadvocate.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News