Palmerston welcomed 36 of its newest citizens yesterday, Thursday 26 January 2023, during a special citizenship ceremony at City of Palmerston’s official Australia Day ceremony.

Friends and family watched on at the Palmerston Recreation Centre as they took their pledge; the final step of their journey to becoming Australian citizens. It was a multicultural occasion with conferees from 15 countries.

Palmerston’s Australia Day Award winners were also announced during the ceremony. The Awards give the community and council an opportunity to acknowledge the generous work individuals and groups do within Palmerston, truly embracing our vision of Palmerston being ‘A Place for People’.

City of Palmerston Mayor, Athina Pascoe-Bell said: “We extend a warm welcome to our newest citizens and congratulate our award winners and all those who were nominated. With each, there is a clear theme of civic pride and selflessness, along with their dedication to the local Palmerston community. Thank you for the valuable contribution each has made to our City".

The award winners were Rose Rai Rajbhandari, Amy Stripling, and Community for Community – Be Brave, Make change. Reconciliation Family Fun Day, see more about why below:

Rose Rai Rajbhandari was awarded the Citizen of the Year Award for her selfless and phenomenal leadership volunteer work with the Nepalese Association of the Northern Territory. She has been involved as a language and culture instructor to young Nepali children in Palmerston.

Amy Stripling was awarded the Young Citizen of the Year Award for being a strong role model in the community promoting youth positivity. She has achieved many milestones in her sporting career, including making the U16 Australian Hockey team, managing junior and senior teams, and volunteering her time to grow the hockey community in the NT.

Community for Community – Be Brave, Make change. Reconciliation Family Fun Day, was awarded the Community Event of the Year Award for their event and commitment to promoting positive choices for youth in Palmerston. The event was well attended and included rich cultural activities, that took place during Reconciliation Week. They aim on building a strong, positive, and trusting relationship to help achieve long-lasting understanding and working towards closing the gap.

This event was proudly sponsored by the Australia Day Council, Northern Territory.