MORE than 87 new citizens hailing from 27 nations became Aussies at a local citizenship ceremony this morning.
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The citizenship ceremony at Lake Macquarie City Council's Speers Point administration building included new Aussies who have come from Bahrain, Denmark, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Jordan, Mauritius, South Korea, UAE, UK and Zambia to just name a few.
Lake Macquarie Mayor, Kay Fraser, said it is always a joy to welcome new citizens, especially on Australia Day.
"It is such a privilege for me to share this special day with our new Aussies," Cr Fraser said.
"The Council Chambers were overflowing with smiling faces and it was great to see families and friends joining in on the celebration.
"Becoming an Australian citizen is much more than just a formality for a lot of people. It's an acceptance of our way of life and everything Australia has to offer.
"Welcoming people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe to Lake Macquarie enriches our community and makes us who we are today. We are proud of our diversity and of the welcoming nature of our city."
The Parra family, originally from the USA and Canada, moved to Murrays Beach eight years ago, and said Lake Macquarie was one of the most beautiful parts of the world.
"We feel so lucky to live here - it's an amazing place to bring up three little Aussie boys," they said.
Lake Macquarie welcomed more than 400 new citizens in 2019 across five citizenship ceremonies and this Australia Day ceremony marks more than 1000 people naturalised by Lake Macquarie mayor Cr Kay Fraser.
