Citizenship ceremonies return to City Hall after 11 months

THE City of Greater Geelong has hosted two citizenship ceremonies at City Hall on January 26, marking the return of face-to-face ceremonies.

After 11 months of virtual events, 20 of Greater Geelong’s newest residents have been granted their citizenship during one of the two ceremonies held at the Hall on Tuesday morning.

Despite marking the return of face-to-face ceremonies, the event did not run as usual with capacity caps limiting the attendance to invite only keeping with Victorian Government’s COVIDSafe requirements.

Acting Mayor Trent Sullivan said the event was always a joyful occasion but this year it had the bonus of representing a return to public ceremonies.

“This event marked a major step forward in our progression out of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we finally get to hold them in person,” he said.

“The lockdown restrictions we all experienced during 2020 made it extra special for the conferees to receive their certificates face-to-face.”

As a result of the pandemic, the city was forced to hold a total of 25 online ceremonies in order to welcome new citizens to the country.

In normal circumstances, the city hosts at least one ceremony a month with the those occurring on Citizenship Day (September 17) and Australia Day (January 26) apart of their key responsibilities.

“We value our role in welcoming new Australian citizens to our increasingly diverse region and meeting some very happy new citizens on Australia Day,” Cr Sullivan said.