Macedon Ranges welcomed 31 new Australian citizens from 12 countries last month at a ceremony hosted at Kyneton Town Hall.
Hosted on Tuesday, January 28, the ceremony welcomed new citizens who have moved to Australia from a range of countries, including Iraq, India, New Zealand, Iran, Serbia, Vietnam, South Africa, Scotland, Philippines, Ireland, and Germany.
At the event, each new citizen made an official pledge of loyalty to Australia and were presented with an Australian native plant and a badge featuring the Australian flag and an image of the national flower – the Golden Wattle.
The event was attended by Macedon Ranges chief executive Bernie O’Sullivan, mayor Dom Bonanno, councillors, and Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters.
Cr Bonanno said that it “felt great” to attend the event as mayor for the first time.
“[I was] both nervous and excited, a bit like how the 31 new Australians would have felt,” Mr Bonanno said.
In his speech at the ceremony, Cr Bonanno said that becoming an Australian citizen “does not mean forgetting your country of birth or the country where you grew up, or its customs and culture”.
“What it does mean is a commitment to Australia as your home where you can bring your own background and stories to enrich our multicultural society, and share your knowledge and your experience with fellow Australians,” Cr Bonanno said.
“And more specifically, it is a commitment to our home, the Macedon Ranges, a place we all love for our open spaces, diverse communities, and an appreciation for the uniqueness of our flora and fauna that live among us.”
