The City of Greater Geelong will host two citizenship ceremonies at City Hall on Australia Day, marking its first in-person ceremonies in almost 11 months.
Up to 20 new Greater Geelong residents will be conferred as Australian citizens across a pair of ceremonies on Tuesday morning.
In line with Victorian Government COVID-19 safety requirements, capacity for the events will be limited, with attendance by invite only.
Acting Mayor Trent Sullivan, who will be the presiding officer, said citizenship ceremonies were always joyful occasions.
We value our role in welcoming new Australian citizens to our increasingly diverse region and I’m looking forward to meeting some very happy new citizens on Australia Day.
The ceremonies will also mark a major step forward in our progression out of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we finally get to hold them in person.
The lockdown restrictions we all experienced during 2020 will make it extra special for the conferees to receive their certificates face-to-face.
The most recent citizenship ceremony at City Hall was on 29 February 2020, with the next scheduled ceremony cancelled as COVID-19 restrictions came into effect.
However, the City continued to welcome new citizens throughout the pandemic, conducting a total of 25 online ceremonies.
The City holds citizenship ceremonies on Citizenship Day (17 September) and Australia Day (26 January) each year as one of its key responsibilities.
In ordinary circumstances, the City also conducts at least one ceremony per month throughout the year.
