Nation welcomes new citizens on Australia Day
Thursday, 26 January 2012
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, today welcomed around 13 700 people from 144 countries who are becoming Australian citizens as part of Australia Day celebrations.
Mr Bowen said Australia Day was the most popular day of the year for citizenship ceremonies, with 365 special ceremonies being held across Australia today.
‘Australia Day is a special time for all Australians, whether they are citizens by birth or by choice, to come together to celebrate our common bond,’ Mr Bowen said.
‘Today is a particularly special occasion for our newest citizens who are pledging their commitment to our great nation and I congratulate them on behalf of all Australians.
‘It is also a great opportunity for all of us to reflect on what it means to be an Australian citizen and celebrate the privileges and responsibilities of Australian citizenship.’
Mr Bowen will preside over a special ceremony for 30 people making the pledge at Sydney’s iconic Luna Park.
They join almost 3000 people becoming citizens in 95 ceremonies across New South Wales, from Mullumbimby in the north to Merimbula in the south and Mudgee in the west.
The largest Australia Day ceremony in NSW will be held at Blacktown’s Bowman Hall, to be attended by 152 new citizens. The state’s biggest regional ceremony in Gosford will involve 116 new citizens.
In the ACT, Prime Minister Julia Gillard will confer citizenship on 27 people officially joining the Australian family. The lakeside ceremony will be part of the national Australia Day celebrations in the nation’s capital.
Queensland will welcome the most new citizens, with 3,850 people from 114 countries becoming citizens in 73 ceremonies across the state.
Brisbane City Council will host the largest ceremony with more than 1200 conferees, while more than 80 people will make the pledge on the esplanade in Cairns, and the Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire council in central Queensland is staging its first ever citizenship ceremony, for six people.
Victoria will welcome some 3150 new citizens from 102 countries in 68 citizenship ceremonies across the state.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship will also host two Melbourne ceremonies with a sporting theme. At AAMI Park, in a ceremony co-hosted by the Melbourne Victory Football Club, about 88 new citizens will come on field ahead of the Melbourne Victory-Sydney FC football game to lead 30 000 spectators in the Australian citizenship affirmation.
Meanwhile, 35 people will make the pledge in a ceremony co-hosted by Essendon Football Club and Cricket Victoria at Essendon’s Windy Hill.
In South Australia, cricket fans will see 24 people become citizens during the lunch break at the international test against India at historic Adelaide Oval. There are 43 ceremonies in total across the state, welcoming more than 1200 citizens from 76 countries.
Internationally renowned rock musician, US-born Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes, is one of Tasmania’s 230 new citizens from 45 countries. There will be 17 ceremonies in the state, including in Launceston, Glenorchy, Hobart, Kingborough and Clarence.
In the nation’s west, around 2070 new citizens from 91 countries will make the pledge at 60 ceremonies from Esperance to East Pilbara and Kwinana to Kalgoorlie.
Western Australia’s biggest ceremony will be held in Perth’s northern suburb of Wanneroo, where more than 400 new citizens will gather at the showgrounds to take the pledge and hear an address by leading Paralympian Priya Cooper.
Territorians will welcome more than 140 new citizens from 35 countries in a total of seven ceremonies, with the largest being held in Darwin and Alice Springs.
‘More than four million people have chosen to become Australian citizens since the first citizenship ceremony in 1949, enriching our nation’s culture and traditions,’ Mr Bowen said.
‘We look forward to the contribution our newest citizens will make to the Australian community.’URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/cb/2012/cb182088.htm
Last update: Wednesday, 25 January 2012 at 23:57 AEST