Cheers, whoops and bursts of joyous applause filled the Huonville Town Hall on 17 September 2019 at a special ceremony officially welcoming 19 Huon Valley residents into Australian citizenship.
Taking place on Australian Citizenship Day 2019, the ceremony saw about 100 people gather to show their support for the new citizens, including family and friends, Huon Valley Council Mayor Bec Enders, Councillors and staff, as well as local parliamentarians Jacquie Petrusma, Rosalie Woodruff and David O’Byrne.
The new citizens originated from countries around the globe including China, Germany, Denmark, Chile, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
As people arrived, an Aboriginal smoking ceremony was conducted by Aboriginal Elder Rodney Dillon, Chair of the South-East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (SETAC), supported by daughter, Bronwyn, and grandson, Arlo. Mr Dillon also gave a moving Welcome to Country as part of the citizenship proceedings.
“Multiculturalism is a big part of what makes the Huon Valley such a vibrant and culturally rich place to live, and our citizenship ceremonies are an opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate this.”
The new citizens were presented with a 2019 Australian Citizenship coin and Australian native plant, and the Cygnet Primary School Choir lead the assembly in a heartfelt rendition of the National Anthem and Waltzing Matilda.
Cr Enders said the ceremony was an opportunity for everyone involved to celebrate what’s great about being Australian. “We had a much larger number of conferees than usual for this ceremony, and it was wonderful to see so many people make the journey to congratulate our new citizens. The contributions of our First Nations peoples and the Cygnet Primary School Choir in particular made for a meaningful and memorable day.
“Multiculturalism is a big part of what makes the Huon Valley such a vibrant and culturally rich place to live, and our citizenship ceremonies are an opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate this.”
Australian Citizenship Day has been celebrated each year on 17 September since 2001. This year, the Department of Home Affairs and local councils hosted around 150 ceremonies across the country, with more than 8000 people becoming Australian citizens as part of the special occasion.
Watch our video coverage of the event below!