IT WAS a big life moment for 19 Port Stephens residents last week when they became citizens of Australia.
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The ceremony was held in the Port Stephens Council chambers in Raymond Terrace on September 17.
Many similar ceremonies are held throughout the year but this day was special because it marked Australian Citizenship Day in the 65th year since Australian citizenshipwas introduced in 1949.
"This is an opportunity for us all to take a moment to stop and think about our Australian citizenship and what it means to us," mayor Bruce MacKenzie said.
"I'm proud to be an Aussie, and I'm proud that so many people who choose to call Australia home also realise that this country, and in particular Port Stephens, is the best place on earth to live, to work, to raise a family and enjoy a good life."
The first Australian citizenship ceremony was held on February 3, 1949, at the Albert Hall in Canberra with seven people taking the oath. In the past 65 years more than 4.5 million people have become Australian citizens.
Among the most recent group was Paula Letschert and her nine-year-old daughter Megan Bailey. They live at Salamander Bay and came to Australia from Thailand.
"I became a citizen because I love this beautiful country," Ms Letschert said.
