General News
5 August, 2026
Seven new Australians
A PYRAMID Hill family that moved to Australia from Kenya five years ago is among seven new Australian residents after a ceremony on Tuesday.
A PYRAMID Hill family that moved to Australia from Kenya five years ago is among seven new Australian residents after a ceremony on Tuesday.
School teacher Hannah, her livestock officer husband Kiruni and their children Ngemi, 4, and Kimathi, 2, were welcomed as citizens by Loddon Mayor Dan Straub in Wedderburn.
“I really enjoy working and living in Loddon Shire because of the community,” Hannah said.
“The community here at Pyramid Hill is warm and inclusive. I also love the beautiful sceneries in our small town including our hill and the lovely Mount Hope.
“Most of all, I genuinely enjoy working at the local school.”
Laanecoorie’s Hans Meyer, who arrived from Germany in 1983, first visited the area prospecting for gold.
“On our travels with the caravan, we always enjoyed staying in areas where we could gold prospect. Laanecoorie and Tarnagulla where some of our favourite spots.
“After my retirement in 2013 we were looking at leaving the city behind. It took some time of looking around before we found a nice block of land fore sale in Laanecoorie. We built our dream home and since 2019 we are enjoying living in the small country town.”
Martina Weber, also originally from Germany, moved to Australia in 2005 and has been living in Wedderburn for almost a decade. She works at the local supermarket.
Scottish-born Angela Tonso, also of Wedderburn, was the seventh person to became an Australian citizen at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Angela moved to Australia as a five-year-old in 1968. “I enjoy the country lifestyle and the close community spirit,” Angela said.
Loddon Shire conducts citizenship ceremonies through the year with Cr Straub saying they showed new Loddon residents were proud to be part of the local communities.
“It’s a real pleasure to welcome and congratulate new citizens who embrace our cherished lifestyles,” Cr Straub said. “They also make an important contribution to our communities in their employment and every day lives.”
The new residents were presented with native trees and Australian flags while Ngemi and Kimathi also received special presentations.
Read More: Pyramid Hill