Record number of new citizens

South Africans love it in Waipā; they must do because 52 of them swore allegiance to his Majesty the King of New Zealand at the latest citizenship ceremony.

Each new citizen gets a kōwhai tree at the Waipā District citizenship ceremony. Susan Colllier of Te Awamutu picks her one up. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

A record 108 new Kiwis agreed to “be faithful and bear allegiance to King Charles the Third, his heirs and successors according to law,” at the Cambridge Town Hall last week.

Among them was Susan Collier of Te Awamutu who said having spent 31 years in New Zealand “it was about time” she became a citizen.

“We came here for a better life and we got it,” the north Londoner said.

The Bartleman family were not letting on whether pressure from their neighbour played a part in them becoming citizens.

Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan, second right, welcomed her Kakepuku neighbours to New Zealand citizenship at Waipā District Council’s ceremony in the Cambridge Town Hall last week. From left, Jessica, Michael, John and Tracy Bartleman. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Mayor Susan O’Regan lives next to South Africans John, Tracy, Jessica and Michael Bartleman in Kakepuku.

Colourful costumes were again on show with the Chininga family from Zimbabwe and now living in Te Awamutu standing out as did Erica Castro, nearly 3, who was born in New Zealand and lives in Cambridge with parents Lei, a registered nurse and Eric, a barista.

Waipā councillors Philip Coles, Mike Montgomerie and Clare St Pierre – as well as Cambridge Community Board chair Jo Davies-Colley – were on hand to help staff and O’Regan with the formalities.

Waipā District councillor Philip Coles can always be relied on to take family photos at citizenship ceremonies. He is pictured setting up a shot of the Castro family of Cambridge in front of the flags. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Coles has become adept in recent times at lining new citizens up against the flags to take their photos, something always appreciated by them.

Everyone got a free kōwhai tree from the council’s nursery and thanks to Coles, they could also take away lemons he brought in a bucket from a fruitful tree at home.

The Castro family emigrated from the Philippines and now live in Cambridge. Lei, is a registered nurse and Eric a barista while Erica, nearly 2 was already a Kiwi before her parents joined her at the Waipā citizenship ceremony in the Town Hall last week. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

The list of people and countries who became New Zealand citizens were:

South Africa – Markus Johannes, Jolanda and Christo Ackermann, Jessica, Tracy, John and Michael John Bartleman, Terri Rosemarie and Ricardo Valdoleiros Bessa, Stephanus Ignatius Coetzee, Johanna Margretha and Calvin Philip Dafel, Antoinette Bianka and Johan Pieter Doorduin, Sarah Elisabeth Haworth, Sandra Lynn and Stephanus Jacobus Herbst, Jacqueline Karen Hollins, Kathleen Ann and Keith Charles James, Matthew Henry Mendonca, Shaneen Elaine Kok, Estelle, Eduardt Werner, Werner Bernhardt and Martin Bernhardt Petrick, Emmarentia Robinson, Mariana Pretorius, Emore and Leander Vosloo, Alyssa Derryn, Jenna Danielle, Richard David, Meghan Diane and Wendy Diane Rousseau, H-wee Walrick and Debbie Sawyer, Neil David, Nicole Ann, Blake Ralph, Isabella Grace and Emily Avah Sinclair, Maria Elizabeth and Johannes Gerhard Slabbert, Ruth Charlotte Anne Tweddle, Eden Ruth Olivier, Caleb Lough Clemitson, Jesse Evelyn Tweddle, Amanda Rene, Tobias Muller, Anre Tobias and Lene Ueckermann.

India – Jaiwanth Godwin Andrew, Anupama Githesh, Joannah Vanitha Koilpillai, Meena Kumari, Varinder Kumar, Avi Kumar Rikhi, Charanpreet Sajjan, Manpreet Singh, Amandeep Kaur, Aryan Vasudeva, Nidhi Vasudeva.

United Kingdom – Emily Rose Butterfield, Susan Denise Collier, John Stephen Jones, Karen Wendy Lockwood, William John and Kim Patricia Maskell, Helen Lindsay Winter, Penelope Joan Parsons, Gary William Pearson, Wayne Ronald Teague, Amina Tritar, Annmarie Rosa Van der Sande.

Philippines – Marebeth Torlao Brindley, Eric Simbrana and Lei Karen Padrique Castro, Lolita Laquio Galu, Pamela Ocampo and Margaret Faye Ocampo Pearson, Jake Tomada Salcedo.

China – Wei Sha, Yuming Tan, Xiaoling Yin, Ching Wan Tsui.

Malaysia – Amrin Hakim Bin Sulaiman, Azatul Balqis Binti Zainol, Li Li Vink.

Zimbabwe – Mia Ruvarashe, Sandra Mamelang and Kudakwashe Gift Chininga.

Cambodia – Netra Chea, Khornsreylin Seng.

Canada – Kevin and Nirav Patel.

Sri Lanka – Indika Gihan Senarathne Makulpagoda Gedara, Ruwani Tharanga Purasinghe Perera.

Australia – Carley Jane Hancke; Brazil – Amanda Romeu Rodrigues; England – Hannah Bowen; Fiji Uma Wati Prasad; Guernsey – Megan Chloe Chea; Ireland – John James O’Neill; Japan – Runa Whitehead; Korea – DoHun Yoo; Spain – Eva Bernabe Bernardo; United States – Daniel Thomas Bair.

The latest batch of new New Zealanders set a record for Waipā last week. They numbered 108 – the most for a single citizenship ceremony in the district. Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan was pictured with the group outside the Cambridge Town Hall. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.