It was a full-house yesterday evening at the Bannockburn Cultural Centre for one of the largest citizenship ceremonies conducted in Golden Plains. Due to the record number of new citizens, the venue was moved from the Bannockburn Shire Hall to the Cultural Centre across the road.
Friends and family of the 20 new citizens filled the public hall to witness them become Australian citizens. Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey oversaw the ceremony on behalf of the Hon David Coleman MP, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, and following the affirmation ceremony, Golden Plains Shire Council CEO Eric Braslis presented each recipient with a native plant and certificate to commemorate the occasion.
The cohort of new citizens was diverse, with residents originating from the United Kingdom, Bolivia, Colombia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Iceland, China, and the United Arab Emirates. The Shire’s newest citizens came from all corners of the municipality, including: Anakie, Bannockburn, Lethbridge, Corindhap, Haddon, Smythes Creek, Inverleigh and Enfield.
Golden Plains Shire Council conducts several citizenship ceremonies during each year.
The ceremony was immediately followed by the November Ordinary Meeting of Council, which you can read more about here.