Baw Baw Shire welcomes 55 new citizens this Australia Day

Baw Baw Shire has proudly welcomed 55 new citizens to our community, at a ceremony held as part of Council’s Australia Day festivities.  

Held at the West Gippsland Arts Centre, the 2023 Australia Day Citizenship ceremony bestowed citizenship on a diverse range of conferees of all ages and backgrounds, with our newest Australians hailing from as far and wide as Argentina, China, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America.  

Marking the final step in their journey to becoming an Australian Citizen, the ceremony allowed recipients to take the citizenship pledge and receive their official certificate of Australian Citizenship under the officiation of Deputy Mayor Cr Michael Leaney and Cr Peter Kostos.  

Each year, Baw Baw Shire is lucky enough to welcome a growing number of citizens choosing to call our Shire their new home, with more than 130 individuals gaining their citizenship in 2022 alone. 

“We are particularly proud that so many new citizens have chosen to live here in Baw Baw Shire”, says Deputy Mayor Cr Michael Leaney. “I strongly encourage all our new citizens to become involved in the local community, through the various sporting clubs, community groups, schools and kindergartens or other local service or social clubs available. I know they will be welcomed with open arms”. 

Australian citizenship ceremonies are an important part of our national celebrations, with more people becoming citizens on Australia Day than any other day of the year. Our newest citizens have joined a special group of Australians who celebrate the anniversary of their citizenship each Australia Day.  
 
Baw Baw Shire Council congratulates all our new citizens and wishes them well in their future endeavours. 

The 2023 Australia Day Citizenship ceremony coincided with the annual Baw Baw Shire Australia Day Awards ceremony in which seven individuals and local groups were celebrated for their noteworthy contributions to the Baw Baw Shire community. Read more about this here: Celebrating Baw Baw’s local achievers at the 2023 Australia Day Awards.

Image: Conferees celebrating their citizenship at the ceremony held at the West Gippsland Arts Centre, on Thursday 26 January 2023.

Image: Conferees celebrating their citizenship at the ceremony held at the West Gippsland Arts Centre, on Thursday 26 January 2023.

Documents: Welcome messages to new citizens from local students from Bona Vista Primary School.