General News
30 December, 2025
Tim Tam moment for new citizens
AUSTRALIAN flags and morning tea of lamingtons and Tim Tams greeted Loddon’s four newest Australian citizens.
Loddon Mayor Dan Straub conferred citizenship on Ahmad Dehayat, Bill Singh, Irene Eigner and Irene Perea. Bill moved to Australia from India in 2014 as an international student and gained qualifications in accountancy.
“I have started my own Accounting firm in Inglewood trading as Calibrated Accounting and Taxation Services and serving all loddon shire and surrounding areas including Bendigo and other states,” he said,
Bill, who has become treasurer of Inglewood Football Club, said he enjoyed the Loddon lifestyle “and people are so lovely here and are very friendly.”
Wedderburn’s Ahmad Dehayat, originally from Iran, been waiting 14 years for Australian citizenship.
He had worked for the City of Melbourne at its transfer stations but moved to Wedderburn after purchasing land from the council put up for sale after previous owners had not paid rates.
Ahmad now tends two horses, goats, peacock, chickens and a dog at his new home.
Boort District Health support services team member Irene Eigner moved to Boort in April after coming to Australia from the Philippines in 2020.
Wychitella’s Irene Perea said raising her family in the Loddon Shire was wonderful.
“I moved to Australia from the Philippines in 2015 after marrying my husband, who is Australian.
“We now have two children, who are eight and 10 years old. We moved from the city to the Loddon Shire about three years ago, and we truly love the country lifestyle and the strong sense of community.”
Irene is employed at Wedderburn FoodWorks and works for InterReach as a domestic assistant supporting several people in the Wedderburn community.
Read More: Inglewood, Wedderburn, Berrimal, Boort, Wychitella