The City of Playford proudly welcomed 158 new citizens as part of Australian Citizenship Day celebrations on Thursday, 17 September, including Sarah Kochergen, who officially became an Australian citizen 24 years after first arriving from the United States.
Originally from Southern California, Sarah came to Australia while travelling after high school, where she met her future husband. She later settled in Australia and raised her family here.
“I always wanted to become a citizen but life got busy with having kids and raising a family,” Sarah said.
“Now I’m at a stage where I just thought it was time to do it.”
Sarah said she valued the lifestyle her family had enjoyed in the northern suburbs.
“There’s such a good balance between work and family life here. That’s been a big difference for me compared with America,” she said.
Australian Citizenship Day is celebrated on 17 September each year and provides an opportunity to reflect on the shared values, responsibilities and freedoms that unite Australians.
Since the first citizenship ceremony in Canberra in 1949, more than 6 million people have become Australian citizens. First celebrated in 2001, Australian Citizenship Day is held each year to acknowledge the shared values, responsibilities and freedoms that unite all Australians.
As Mayor, Glenn Docherty has conferred citizenship on more than 6000 people, reflecting Playford’s growing diversity.
Mayor Docherty said Australian Citizenship Day is a particularly meaningful occasion to reflect on what it means to become an Australian citizen and to celebrate the values, responsibilities and sense of belonging that citizenship represents.
“While every citizenship ceremony is a special milestone, Australian Citizenship Day gives us an important opportunity to recognise the significance of citizenship on a national scale and celebrate the shared values that connect us as Australians,” he said.
The City of Playford has welcomed new Australian citizens from many countries around the world and this year’s Australian Citizenship Day cohort included Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, USA, South Sudan and Sri Lanka.
