Moorabool has welcomed more than 70 new Australians after a citizenship ceremony was held on July 20 in Bacchus Marsh.
Among the recipients were 56 adults and 16 children from countries such as India, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Albania, and Thailand among many others.
Maddingley local Chaitanya Talari moved to Australia in 2019 after her husband came here for work a year earlier.
Her husband and children, who gained citizenship last year, were cheering on from the crowd to celebrate the milestone.
“I feel good because I’ve been waiting to join my family as Australians. It’s important to me,” she said.
Ms Talari said they greatly enjoyed living in Maddingley.
“We love this place,” she said.
“We work remotely and if we need to travel to the city for work we can catch the V/Line. It is our choice to stay out here – it’s a great place to bring up your kids.
“Our two girls go to the local school and love the community here.”
Moorabool mayor Ally Munari congratulated the new citizens and said that living here came with both benefits and responsibilities.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to give a warm welcome to our newest citizens and acknowledge the importance of what it means to become a full member of the Australian community,” she 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.”
Eddie Russell
