Image Caption Mahan (right) and Nina Lamei (left) at the Citizenship Ceremony on National Citizenship Day on 17 September 2025.
On National Citizenship Day, The Hills Shire Council was honoured to warmly welcome 166 new Australian citizens who chose to make The Hills their home.
During this special ceremony, conferees from 22 countries including Colombia, Iran, Fiji, Kenya, and Mexico pledged their loyalty and commitment to Australia.
We had the chance to catch up with two of these inspiring new citizens, hearing their powerful stories and what this life-changing milestone means to them.
Laura Kirkpatrick, originally from Colombia:
Q: What does the milestone of becoming an Australian citizen mean to you personally?
A: Having lived in Australia for 15 years, this milestone feels incredibly meaningful to me. I graduated from Castle Hill High School, built my career here working for a major bank, and met my husband here. Becoming an Australian citizen represents the life I've built in this country — the freedom to travel anywhere in the world and return to a place that truly feels like home. It's the recognition that Australia is where I have family and friends, and where I hope to raise children one day.
Q: Why did you want to become an Australian citizen?
A: I first came to Australia at the age of 15, unsure of what to expect as I was simply following my parents' lead. Looking back, I now understand they were seeking a better future for my sisters and me. After many sacrifices and visa processes later, I'm proud to be an Australian citizen. I've fallen in love with this country and want to give back to the place that has given me so much. My hope is that my parents and sister will one day also become permanent residents and eventually citizens so that they too can officially call this beautiful place home. Like me, they've worked hard to be here and we all deeply love this country.
Above: Laura Kirkpatrick at her Citizenship Ceremony on National Citizenship Day on 17 September 2025.
Q: How do you plan on celebrating this milestone?
A: I plan to celebrate with my husband and family, enjoying all the classic Australian treats — Tim Tams, lamingtons and a good old-fashioned sausage sizzle. It will be a day to reflect on my journey with gratitude and to look forward to the future with excitement.
Q: What do you love most about The Hills?
A: What I love most about The Hills is the strong sense of community and how genuinely welcomed I've felt. This was the first place I lived when I came to Australia, and I've never left — it's always felt like home.
Mahan Lamei, originally from Iran:
Q: What does the milestone of becoming an Australian citizen mean to you and your family?
A: We always considered citizenship an important milestone in our immigration endeavour. We feel we've reached the integration level that we had in our mind for when we get to the citizenship milestone.
Q: Why did you want to become an Australian citizen?
A: Honestly, we were not too happy with the way of living in our home country. We decided to immigrate to an immigrant-friendly western country. And we were lucky to end up in this lucky country as skilled workers.
Q: How do you plan on celebrating this milestone?
A: We're going to dine out with some family friends after the ceremony. By the way, it is also our 15th wedding anniversary!
Q: What do you love most about The Hills?
A: We like the diversity, while the western base culture is in place and working. It feels family friendly, so good for raising our kids. Also, the topographic landscape feels close to our home city Tehran.
