Benalla Rural City Council proudly welcomed 23 new Australian citizens during a special citizenship ceremony held on Tuesday 7 July at the Benalla Visitor Information Centre.
The newest citizens, from eight different countries including Botswana, China, India, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, were officially welcomed by Benalla Rural City Mayor Cr Bernie Hearn, who presided over the ceremony.
We congratulate and welcome: Jezza Mae Arroz, Alexandra Bowman, Kevin Brooks, Charlene Cummings, Keith Forrester, Minura Gunasingha, Joby Joseph, Hui Ping Lim, Manjul Prateeti, Shivaang Oberoi, Annabelle Radford, Subhajit Saha, Aparajita Talapatra, Aishani Saha, Sambodhi Saha, Kevin Renzo Sevilla, Ma Zaira Sevilla, Amer Tawfik, Aileen Turla, Lizlyn Villestas, Gofaone Wantwa, Rensong Zong and Zhixian Zong.
Mayor Cr Bernie Hearn said it was a privilege to preside over the ceremony and officially welcome the newest members of the Benalla community.
“Becoming an Australian citizen is a significant milestone, and it’s an honour to celebrate this achievement with 23 proud new citizens,” Cr Hearn said.
“Citizenship ceremonies are always a highlight of my role as Mayor – it’s wonderful to witness the joy and pride on such a special day.”
Australian citizenship ceremonies are an important tradition, welcoming new citizens to our community and to our nation. Since the first ceremony in January 1949, millions have taken this meaningful step.
Benalla Rural City Council congratulates all our newest citizens and wishes them every success in this exciting new chapter of their lives.
