The Gap Celebrates with new Aussies on Australia Day The Rotary Club of Ashgrove/The Gap welcomed 74 new citizens at an Australia Day citizenship ceremony on Australia Day. This was the 30th consecutive year that this local club has hosted such a ceremony; indeed this club originated the whole idea of community ceremonies. Our new citizens came from 25 countries in all, from five continents, with ages from 7 to 64. COVID-19 guidelines on hotspot restrictions, gathering sizes and social distancing resulted in fewer citizenship ceremonies than usual in 2021, leading to a backlog of demand and higher numbers than last year. Numbers at this ceremony were still limited by the maximum number the hall could legally accommodate. The club strives for an informal, relaxed atmosphere, as far as possible in a serious legal event, and this was achieved in spite of the need to follow strict Covid-safe guidelines. Unvaccinated candidates c o u l d n o t , b y l a w, b e admitted to the hall for the main ceremony, but a HomeAffairs-approved contingency plan allowed them to receive their citizenships in separate mini-ceremonies under the shelter of an outdoor area. On Australia day almost every member of the club, and many partners, pitched in to host the club’s 30th consecutive Australia Day C i t i z e n s h i p C e r e m o n y. After MC Ritchie Callaghan opened the proceedings, Club President Peter Kamau welcomed all. Councillor Steven Toomey was the presiding officer, and he, the member for Cooper Jonty Bush, and the federal member for Ryan Julian Simmonds gave short elegant speeches. Then the candidates, family by family, recited
their pledges of allegiance, thereby became citizens, and received their certificates – official ones and Rotary Club souvenir ones. Convenor Tim Boyd thanked the High School for the use of the hall, and said that despite some challenges, 79 conferees were all welcomed as new citizens, and they were vocal in praise of the club’s way of conducting the ceremony. The Royal Bounty Bush Band contributed mightily to the relaxed atmosphere in which this serious business was carried out, he said. Morning tea, in most years a variety of “Aussie tucker” was, due to those annoying Covid restrictions, limited to nice safe pre-wrapped Tim Tams, albeit with tea and coffee. Brisbane City Council provided a native plant for each new citizen from their Aspley nursery. The Paten Park Native Nursery kindly lent plants to decorate the stage, further adding to the atmosphere. Dr Matthew Edwards, spoke eloquently in response of the new Aussie citizens: “Good morning everybody and what a day it is! I’m Matt Edwards from England, here today with my wife Sandra from Ireland and daughters Lily and Erin. We've been in this lucky country for eight years now and dreamt of this day for much longer than that. We ’ r e d e l i g h t e d t o become new Australians. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the people of Australia from the first for accepting us and welcoming us to this great country. I wish everybody in this room and everybody in this nation the very very best for the future. Thankyou.” More photos pages 26 & 27
website: http://www.westernecho.com.au
Among the new 74 Aussies were Dr Matthew Edwards, wife Sandra Ryan and daughters Lily and Erin Edwards. Matt also gave a vote of thanks on behalf of all the new Aussies following the ceremony
Inside the February Issue... Amnesty International..................................................................16 Arana VIEW Club..................................................................................16 Art in Bark Association......................................................................25 Ashgrove Forum.........................................................................10 Ashgrove Historical Society..............................................................8 Ashgrove Rangers......................................................................12 Ashgrove/The Gap Lions Club....................................................11 Brisbane Tramway Museum...........................................................31 Chess T’Minit.......................................................................31 Enoggera Historical Society.......................................................24 Enoggera Reservoir /Barnes Dedication..........................14 Ithaca Probus Club....................................................................31 Meals on Wheels North West Division.....................................................6 Mitchelton Garden Club..........................................................28 Neighbourhood Watch The Gap..................................................4 Newmarket VIEW Club.........................................................................31 Northern Suburbs Hockey Club...................................................13 Older Women's Network Mitchelton...........................................25 Paten Park Native Nursery (PPNN).............................................28 Picabeen Community Association..............................................24 Principal’s Points....................................................................22 Queensland Choir................................................................................23 Rotary Club of Ashgrove/The Gap Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony..3 Seranata Singers.....................................................................25 SOWN (Save Our Waterways Now)...........................................29 State Update - Jonty Bush - Member for Cooper.........................5 The Gap Garden Club..............................................................29 The Gap Historical Society......................................................18 The Gap Probus Club.................................................................16 The Gap RSL Sub Branch...........................................................9 Voices of Birralee................................................................................22 The Western Echo February 2022 Page 3
