Shire residents become Australian citizens

Beechworth’s Heather Jameson is incredibly grateful in becoming an Australian citizen. Heather joined eight other residents around the shire last week who undertook their pledges to Australia at an Indigo Shire Council citizenship ceremony. Shire Mayor Sophie Price presided over the ceremony held in the Soldier’s’ Memorial Hall in Beechworth on Thursday, 29 January. Heather grew up in the New Zealand rural town of Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty with time spent in Dunedin for university and in Taupō in the central North Island. “My husband John and I moved to Beechworth from Melbourne in late 2023 with our children, although we have lived in several major centres since our move to Australia 20 years ago,” she said. “I see so many familiar parallels between my New Zealand upbringing and life in Beechworth. “It feels like we’ve come full circle, and I’m grateful that our children will grow up with the same sense of community and connection that I did.” Heather said after choosing Australia two decades ago to be home, she was grateful to have finally made the commitment official. “Our children were born here, we've purchased our first home here and now that we are citizens, we feel a whole lot more grounded,” she said. Heather said she was grateful to be able to fully contribute and have a political voice. Tangambalanga’s Daniel Bayliss from England has been in Australia for nine years. Becoming an Australian citizen has meant being part of the community. “You feel like you can contribute, get to vote, and participate as a citizen, and feel like you're part of the Australian family, a lot more than just waiting as a permanent resident,” he said. Contributing to the community for nine years, Daniel said he works in the environment area at Wodonga Council. “I feel like I contribute a little bit to the community with my role, as well as in other areas of life,” he said. Cr Price said it was a privilege to be a part of such a significant day in people's lives. “I've spoken to lots of the new citizens today and there's a whole raft of experiences, whether they have not long arrived in Australia or have been here for a long time," she said. “It's all been a part of what's taken them to get here today, and we're so pleased to welcome them to be a part of our community. “Most of them are already contributing to our community in so many ways and it’s nice to formally say 'Welcome to Australia'.” The shire residents and now Australians originally hailed from Argentina, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United Kingdom. The residents were also joined by family and friends with Cr Scott Landells in attendance to congratulate them.

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