The Parkes Shire Council Chambers rang with applause on February 19, as a large gathering welcomed 15 new Australian citizens.
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The citizenship ceremony featured new Aussies who have been calling Australia and Parkes home for as long as 26 years, while others have been here for 14, 10 and seven years.
Parkes Mayor Ken Keith OAM was first to welcome - perhaps one of Parkes' most familiar faces in the sporting scene - local physiotherapist Sharon Dixon.
Sharon, who's originally from Trinidad and Tobago, came to Australia in 1993 after meeting now husband Peter Dixon in Dublin, Ireland, where she was living at the time.
Ma Paz Agnes Paguyan Doguiles moved to Australia from the Philippines in 2012.
She works as a kitchen hand and cleaner at the Coachman Hotel.
Honey Kumar Kukreja and three-year-old Devam were also welcomed, coming to Australia from India in 2008 and moving to Parkes in 2015.
Honey Kumar works as a cook at the Railway Hotel and enjoys cricket.
Vijay Chowdary Mokkapati moved to Australia from India in 2009 before making Parkes his home in 2016 with wife Shrisha and two-year-old son Aaryan.
Vijay manages the Parkes Indian Cuisine and enjoys cooking and cricket.
Luboslava Prebendarcik arrived in Australia from Solvakia in 2005, settling in Trundle in 2008.
She's accompanied by partner Gerry Capell and sons Alex (13) and Seth (9) Prebendarcik.
Luboslava works full-time at Trundle Central School.
Four members of the Samosir family from Indonesia took the oath on February 19.
Eddy Manangar Samosir, Anna Lucia Sinaga, daughter Amintri Steffany Samosir and son Amos Mateus Samosir moved to Australia in 2012.
Eddy is an engineer at Northparkes Mines and Anna volunteers at St Vincent de Paul, while Amintri studies at Macquarie University and Amos attends Red Bend Catholic College.
Florence May Smith moved to Australia from the Philippines in 2013 and works as a care service employee at Southern Cross Aged Care.
Wanping Wu from China, arrived in Australia in 2009 and moved to Trundle in 2011.
She is accompanied by her parents and three younger siblings and studies at Red Bend Catholic College.
Three members of the Duong family - Hoang Niem Duong, Thi My Thao Tran and Nha Thy Duong - were the final citizens to be welcomed.
The family came to Australia from Vietnam in 2009, moving to Parkes in 2015.
Hoang and Thi manage the Emerald Nails Salon in Parkes.
"I congratulate [you] on [your] decision to become Australian citizens, a decision welcomed not only by me but by all Australians," Cr Keith said.
"When you make the decision to become an Australian, you are deciding to become part of a nation which is not your homeland but which you have decided to adopt as your own.
"This is a big step, regardless of how long you have been living in Australia."
When Vijay arrived in Australia, he wanted to move west to a regional town.
He chose Parkes because it was a beautiful town with very friendly people, and he and wife Shrisha said they felt very welcomed.
