RECEIVING Australian citizenship on Tuesday was a dream come true for Boort’s Jarpal Singh.
He was one of four new citizens at the ceremony conducted by Loddon Mayor Dan Straub in Wedderburn.
Mr Singh arrived in Australia from India in 2015 as a student seeking new opportunities and has been in Boort for the past two years.
“I couldn’t have made a better choice,” he said. “What I love most about living here is the strong sense of community. People are friendly, supportive and always willing to lend a hand.”
Jared Fowler, of Muphys Creek, moved to Australia from New Zealand in 2018 and splits his time between living in the Loddon Shire and working as operations manager for the museum and carousel on Geelong’s waterfront.
“I’m still relatively new to the shire, I am enjoying being a tourist and discovering what we have on offer. I purchased a property with a bit of land which I love.”
Pyramid Hill’s So-Lay Mag no has been in Australia since 2017 after moving from the Philippines. She works at Calmo dairy farm, Calivil, and said she enjoyed living in the area.
Lynette Borg, who works at Wedderburn’s 24 Karat Cafe was also among the new citizens.
Tuesday’s ceremony had been scheduled as an outdoor event but was held indoors as rain fell persistently during the morning.