Despite the very cold weather on Friday, a very warm welcome was extended to Co-bar’s four newest Australian citizens.
The four Cobar Shire residents, Charlene Madden, Robyn and Leonard Baker and Lin Meng, were naturalised as Australian citizens at a citizenship ceremony conducted in Drum-mond Park last week.
In the absence of the Minister for Immigra-tion, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Cobar Shire Council’s general manager Peter Vlatko acted as the presiding officer on the Minister’s behalf.
Mr Vlatko welcomed the four as new Aus-tralian citizens.
“We are immensely proud of what we have achieved as a nation, and we welcome you in joining us,” Mr Vlatko said.
“Our history and culture has been forged over thousands of years, first through Aborigi-nal and Torres Strait Islander people and more recently with people from all corners of the earth.
“By committing yourself to Australia today, you have chosen to embrace our nation and its values,” he said.
The group was also given a Welcome to Country by local Indigenous elder, Elaine Ohlsen as part of the citizenship ceremony.
Charlene came to Australia from Ireland and has lived here for the past 10 and a half years and decided now was the time to become an Australian citizen.
Robyn and Leonard Baker have lived in Australia for 15 years and have wanted to become Australian citizens for some time, however did not previously meet the criteria.
Lin Meng came to Australia from China and now lives with her husband on a property near Louth.
