Welcome to A New Australian Citizen
When Tiffany Udo-Dean became an Australian Citizen on Sunday (September 17th) it was the latest milestone in a journey that has seen her leave her home in Brittany France and settle in Rouse Hill after finding love via the Twitter app (now called X).
Tweets on the social media platform 10 years ago led to a Facebook connection followed by long Skype conversations which resulted in Tiffany finally visiting Australia for the first time in October 2014.
She and her wife Jacinda have now been married three years, live in Rouse Hill and run a photographic business together.
Tiffany says the recent Women’s FIFA World Cup broke her heart. “I absolutely love the Matildas but my heart was with France. It was awful for me.”
She said they watched the match at the Fan Zone at Rouse Hill Town Centre… “I think I was one of 3 or 4 people going for France. Becoming an Australian Citizen on Sunday was a “special day,” she says. “I will be able to vote in the Referendum and so I am glad about that.”
Sunday (September 17th) was National Citizenship Day in Australia and 237 residents were given their citizenship certificates by Hills Mayor Peter Gangemi at one of two ceremonies held at The Hills Shire Council offices. 
In the last financial year 2,831 Hills residents became citizens. According to figures gained from the census. The biggest group of overseas born residents in the Hills Shire Council area in 2021 came from India (6.6 %) followed by China (6.4%) UK (3.1%), Philippines (1.8%) and South Korea (1.7%).
For the Bind family, becoming Australian Citizens was a big milestone in their life.
Tushar, his wife Smitha and their sons Tejas, 15, and Shreyas,10 became Australian citizens on Sunday, an event Tushar said they had all been looking forward to.
“Australia is a safe, multicultural place and feels like home,” he said.. The director of an IT company, he first arrived in Australia in 2010 to work in Melbourne. He returned to India but three years later, work brought him and his family to Melbourne and then on to Sydney in 2017.
He says they love living in a country where there is freedom of religion, freedom of speech and a helpful community. While the whole family loves cricket their favourite pastimes are bushwalking and exploring Sydney.
“We have our values and they really match New Australian citizen Tiffany Udo-Dean with Australia’s values,” said Tushar Hills Shire Mayor Peter Gangemi said: “The Hills is a blessed community and one of our greatest strengths is our diverse multicultural population. I would like to thank each of our newest citizens for making our wonderful region even greater.” 
The newest Australian citizens in The Hills came from 36 countries throughout the world including India, China, Iran, Pakistan, South Africa, Egypt and the United Kingdom.
Hawkesbury City Council Mayor Sarah McMahon welcomed 120 new citizens who came from a diverse range of countries in Europe, South America and Asia including Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, Colombia, Czechia (Czech Republic), India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Korea, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, USA and Vietnam.
The Mayor said receiving Australian Citizenship on Australia’s national citizenship day was special for everyone involved and would be a special memory for all.
“Whether we are citizens through birth or by active choice, Australian Citizenship Day is a chance for all Australians to take pride in our citizenship; celebrate our democratic values and think about what unites us as Australians,” she said. “It is one of the greatest honours as a Mayor to confer citizenship upon people from all nations of the earth, who have such significant and varied stories about their journey to Australian citizenship. 
”It gives me great pleasure to listen to every new citizen, knowing that this day brings so much joy because they now belong to the very best country, and can call themselves a ‘true blue Aussie!’
According to the census the largest number of residents in the Hawkesbury born overseas are from the UK (3.8%), followed by New Zealand (1.2%); India (0.8%), Malta (0.7%) and the Philippines (0.5%).
