Council
22 April, 2026
Council welcomes new citizens
CORANGAMITE Shire Council welcomed 14 new citizens to Australia at a ceremony last Tuesday.
More than 40 people gathered at the Killara Centre in Camperdown when Corangamite Shire mayor councillor Kate Makin officiated and welcomed the ceremony.
The new citizens are Princess, Rollie, Aaliyah, Allanah and Sophia Basobas, April Mcarthur, Emma Tadros, Jetro, Candyce and Caylen Ticuala, Courtney Vogels and Cherry May, Sam and Isabella Wilson.
The have settled in Corangamite Shire from Ireland, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
Cr Makin said it was a “true privilege” to officially welcome the new citizens to the Corangamite Shire community.
“Citizenship ceremonies are always incredibly special – they remind us of the strength, diversity and shared values that make our region such a great place to live,” she said.
“On behalf of our community, I warmly welcome each of our new citizens and wish them every happiness as they begin this next chapter, proudly calling Corangamite home.”
Cr Makin read a welcoming statement from Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Tony Burke.
Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan also spoke to the gathering and welcomed the new citizens.
“It’s a great privilege for us as your community that you have now officially joined,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter how young or old you are – it is an exciting time, and I know it was something that took a long time to come around.
“The children had that wonderful head start in life to become Australians at a young age and for others through work and probably a long journey to get here.
“Welcome to the Corangamite Shire – you’ve picked one of the one most wonderful and loveliest places on all the planet to live and make your home.
“I hope you enjoy it as much as you’ve enjoyed the journey getting here.”
Each new Australian received their official citizenship certificate from the Federal Government, a gift bag and a native plant to symbolise their growth, new life and putting down new roots in Australia.
Council hosts four citizenship ceremonies a year.
The ceremonies previously occurred during council meetings, but the format changed this time to be a standalone event, allowing new citizens and their guests to stay and socialise over a cuppa.
To learn about the citizenship process, visit immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/become-a-citizen.