Wattle Range welcomes new faces

WATTLE Range Council celebrated Australian Citizenship Day on September 17 with a citizenship ceremony for three conferees of Council’s newest Australian citizens.

The conferees became Australian citizens as part of a ceremony which was the first to be held in Council’s new Services Centre Chamber in Millicent.

The Citizenship ceremony was attended by Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasin, Liberal Candidate for MacKillop Rebekah Rosser, Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll, Cr Chris Brodie and Cr John Drew.

The conferees:

Mrs Emelyn Delos Santos – Country of Birth Philippines – Resides in Millicent

Miss Stephanie Jagger – Country of Birth New Zealand – Resides in Glencoe

Mr Daniel Magura – Country of Birth Zimbabwe – Resides in Glencoe

Mayor Noll said that we are part of a lively and diverse multicultural nation and being an Australian, whether by birth or by choice, and sharing Australian values, was what brings us together.

He also said that the ceremony was one of many happening across Australia as thousands of people will officially become new citizens around Australian Citizenship Day.

“Australian Citizenship Day is a special time for all of us to think about and celebrate what it means to be Australian,” Mayor Noll said. “We are proud to welcome new citizens who choose to be part of our community and share our values.”

Australian citizenship was created through the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948, and came into effect on 26 January 1949.

The Australian Government established Australian Citizenship Day in 2001 in response to a recommendation by the Australian Citizenship Council in their 2000 report Australian Citizenship for a New Century. 17 September was chosen as Australian Citizenship Day as it is the anniversary of the renaming, in 1973, of the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 to the Australian Citizenship Act 1948.