The nation now has 12,000 more Australian citizens thanks to ceremonies conducted by Local Governments across the country. Many Councils also used Australia Day to help raise funds for a number of tsunami appeals.
The largest Council ceremony was staged by Sutherland Shire, in Sydney’s south, where 270 new Australians were welcomed.
Altogether, 275 citizenship ceremonies were held with a record number of Councils participating. Federal Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Peter McGauran, conferred citizenship on 160 people at Federation Square in Melbourne while Immigration Minister, Amanda Vanstone, conducted a ceremony for 22 people at the one day international cricket match at the Adelaide Oval. The Prime Minister presided over his first ceremony when he conferred citizenship on 80 people in Canberra. The Governor General, Major General Michael Jeffery, officiated the nation’s largest ceremony at Homebush in Sydney.
