TWENTY-EIGHT Campaspe Shire residents can now officially call Australia home.
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The Echuca, Rochester and Nanneella residents became Australian citizens at Echuca-Moama’s Australia Day ceremony at Moama Botanic Gardens on Sunday.
They included Echuca’s Zyra Cardines, Khurt Salano, Lailani and Luis Dorupa, Eleanor Barbado, Carla and Cecille Briseni, Annabelle Mendoza-Young, Abigail Morrison and Naomi Villafuerte (Philippines); Anthanasios Gkintidis (Greece); Mingjun Chu (China); Joice Jacob (India); Samjhana Sharma (Nepal); David-John Ujimoto (Canada); Gary, Lorraine and Ellen Hennessy (Ireland); James Marsh (UK); Stine Barnett (Denmark); Shalika Kankanamalage and Chaminda Wedisingha (Sri Lanka); Rochester’s Joseph Burns (Ireland); Nanneella’s Mary Dunn (Philippines); and Bamawm’s Nardzson, Nardz, Nardzson II and Olivia Hamot (Philippines).
Stine Barnett, who has been in Australia since 2011, said it was an honour to become an Australian citizen.
‘‘It means I’m able to build a future here with my family and never have to worry about visas ever again,’’ she said.
It was a family affair for Stine who was naturalised alongside husband James Marsh, who hails from the UK.
‘‘James and I just got married and we have a daughter Evie and another on the way so it’s all happening for us,’’ Stine said.
James, who arrived in Australia in 2010, met Stine while working at Cactus Country in Strathmerton.
‘‘It’s funny that our paths crossed in this random little park in the middle of nowhere and we’ve then stayed in the area ever since,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m looking forward to being part of the community and the people and to give back.’’