Mount Isa has welcomed 17 new citizens at a citizenship ceremony at Buchanan Park on Thursday as part of Australian Citizenship Day 2020.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mayor Danielle Slade conducted her first citizenship ceremony formally welcoming new citizens from 12 countries, including the UK, Philippines, Samoa, Zimbabwe, Thailand, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, China and Hong Kong.
The socially distanced event meant the traditional photo of all new citizens could not take place and they were all spaced out in the venue but otherwise there was a traditional ceremony of vows taken and the national anthem sung after which Cr Slade welcomed the 17 new Australians with the greeting "g'day, mate, how are you going?"
Deputy mayor Phil Barwick and Cr Peta MacRae also attended the ceremony as this family and friends of the new citizens.
Cr Slade said the ceremony was an opportunity for all Australians to come together to acknowledge what's great about being Australian.
"Each year on Australian Citizenship Day - September 17 - we reflect on the meaning and importance of Australian citizenship and the shared values that unite us," Cr Slade said.
"There is no greater privilege than our citizenship. It's a life-long commitment to Australia's values of freedom, democracy, equality and respect."
While you are here, subscribe to our weekly email delivered to your inbox every Tuesday and Friday.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
