Hawkesbury City Council welcomed 20 new citizens from all over the world at a formal ceremony on 16 June.
The new citizens come from seven countries: Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, South Africa, The Philippines and the United Kingdom.
Among those receiving their citizenship was Ravneel Chand, the Head Chef from the Butler's Pantry café at Redbank in North Richmond.
The new citizens pledged their loyalty to Australia and its people at the ceremony and heard from the General Manager of Hawkesbury City Council, Elizabeth Richardson, the Mayor of Hawkesbury, Councillor Les Sheather, the Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman MP, the State Member for Hawkesbury, Robyn Preston MP and RAAF Base Richmond Warrant Officer Glann Bennett.
Mayor, Councillor Les Sheather said, "Taking this step today to become an Australian is a true sign of your commitment to this country – and I commend you for that. We have a terrific country with terrific people. We're very pleased that you chose our city to live in and we welcome you to the Hawkesbury community."
Hawkesbury City Council General Manager, Elizabeth Richardson, said, "The Hawkesbury region is a culturally diverse community and I believe it is one of our greatest strengths. It is central to who we are and part of our national identity."
Each new citizen received a certificate, a commemorative coin and a native plant, from Council's community nursery, as a welcome gift.
