Lake Mac welcomes almost 100 new citizens

Almost 100 people from 32 nations have become official ‘Aussies’ at a citizenship ceremony in Lake Macquarie.

The Rathmines ceremony was one of more than 325 held on Australia Day nationwide, welcoming a combined 18,800 people from more than 150 countries.

Sri Lanka-born Nadeeka Parana Manage has lived in Australia for the past 13 years after moving here to study at university and complete a PhD in environmental engineering.

But something felt a little more special and a little more permanent on Monday after she took the Australian Citizenship Pledge alongside her husband, Rasangeeth, and their daughter, Hazel.

“There’s more of a sense of belonging and we feel grateful to be part of the Australian community,” she said.

“This is such a beautiful country. It’s so free, and everyone is so friendly and lovely.”

Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz said becoming an Australian citizen was “a truly special moment”, for people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures.

“It’s one today’s participants will look back on and treasure for many years to come. They bring a whole range of skills, experiences and cultures to our community, and I’m proud we are a city that embraces these things.”

Assistant Minister for Citizenship Julian Hill said an Australian was “anyone committed to our country and to the principle of mutual respect for our fellow Australians”.

“Every town, every suburb, every sporting club in our nation charts the success stories of migrants who have worked to build their lives and build a better Australia,” he said.

Global citizens – where Lake Mac’s newest citizens hail from

ARGENTINA	MALAWI
AUSTRALIA	NEPAL
BANGLADESH	NETHERLANDS
BOLIVIA	NEW ZEALAND
BOTSWANA	PAKISTAN
CANADA	PHILIPPINES
CHILE	POLAND
FRENCH POLYNESIA	RUSSIAN FEDERATION
GERMANY	SAUDI ARABIA
INDIA	SLOVAKIA
INDONESIA	SOUTH AFRICA
IRAN	SRI LANKA
IRELAND	THAILAND
KUWAIT	UNITED KINGDOM
KYRGYZSTAN	UNITED STATES
LIBYA	VIETNAM