“I think even more special with this ceremony being so close to Christmas, that not only can they celebrate Christmas, but they get a chance to celebrate being citizens of a new country,” he said.

New Australians on the day included brother and sister Alfred and Emmi Blough, both from the US and members of the Danthonia community, and Kenneth Williams from the UK.

“He said he was changing because of the cricket result. So now he can barrack for both teams,” Mayor Harmon quipped.

Rowel Gascon had been in Australia six years to the day of the ceremony. He stood up beside his wife Maria, son Ronel and daughter Rowena who also become citizens. 

Rowel and his family are originally from the Philippines.

Mario Quirona became an Australian alongside his sons John M R, John Y R and Justin Quirona. He has been in the country since 2008 though his family has not been in Inverell as long.

Mario did not take the route directly to Inverell from his native Philippines.

“I was living in Saudi Arabia before, for work.”

He said he decided to leave the country because of a conflict with his beliefs and felt Australia was more sympathetic to his values and so his family could be together again. His wife is not yet a citizen, but she is on track to take that step.

Alberto Talampas has lived in Australia for seven years, fulfilling a life-long ambition.

“It was my dream when I was a kid,” he said.

Alberto first to came to Australia in the 1980s as a university student studying mechanical engineering. A second attempt also failed, so he made the journey to Saudi Arabia for work to support his family back in the Philippines.

Chances to see them were very rare.

“We were apart for 17 years,” Albert explained. 

He said the Australian 457 visas made it possible to come to the country of his dreams and reunite with his wife.

His wife Victoria had just one chance a year to see her husband during his long tenure in the Middle East, but Wednesday she stood by to witness her husband take the oath and become an Australian.