Another 108 Waipā residents became New Zealand citizens last week – 41 from the United Kingdom and 20 from South Africa. It could well be the last of eight presided over by mayor Susan O’Regan so she took the opportunity to grab a selfie, just in case.
Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan takes a selfie of the 108 new citizens with their friends and family in the Cambridge Town Hall. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
There just wasn’t enough time to capture every story behind the smiles at Waipā’s latest citizenship ceremony.
All up, 108 new citizens were welcomed – bringing the total to over 1000 across eight ceremonies in the past three years, all choosing Waipā as their permanent place.
One woman has called New Zealand home for 66 years; others are fresh arrivals.
But all packed into Cambridge Town Hall to celebrate the journeys that led them to Waipā.
Waipā mayor Susan O’Regan congratulates former Cambridge Greypower president David Wilson. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Mayor Susan O’Regan gave the ceremonies a makeover when she took office three years ago.
Instead of the sterile council chambers in Te Awamutu, she brought them to Cambridge’s historic Town Hall.
Since then she’s congratulated many she personally knows – tradespeople, neighbours, doctor, people who coached her children’s sports teams and several Waipā workmates, including Engineering team lead Harry Baxter and her electrician Blerim Budllah, who became citizens on Friday.
“This could be my last time,” she said nodding to the upcoming mayoral election where she’s up against Mike Pettit and Clare St Pierre.
“So, I’m getting a selfie.”
And so they all willingly complied.
Rain outside meant the traditional photo of Waipā’s new New Zealand citizens on the Town Hall steps was out of the question. Seated in front of them inside the hall are mayor Susan O’Regan, left, and Heng Sok, originally from Cambodia. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
The new citizens and their listed birth places are:
Albania: Blerim Budlla, Argentina: Mariano Omar Castellon, Adriana Mabel Rondeau, Australia: Kieron Devin, Lesley Hall, Pamela Kay, Susan Bull, Belgium: Laurence Jonckheer, Brazil: Violeta Gaddum, Cambodia: Pich Im, Heng Sok, China: Pei Liu, Yongyan Wang, Columbia: Cristian Andres Londono Piedrahita, Costa Rico: Lil Castro Pacheco, England: Louise Coate, Isabel Steel, Laura Troth, David Wilson, Hannah and Peter Buesnel, Morgan, Susan and Derek Howard, Fiji: Kesaia Ward, Ropate Nasau, Germany: Michael Panko, Anna Read, Claudia Barclay, Melissa Beach, Johanna Bussler, Ingo Feldmann, Arbana Levande, India: Neeraj Agrawal, Mohit Chopra, Jaskarn Jhally, Biju Pazhuthal Paul, Gagandeep Singh, Uneek, Varun and Nishchay Upneja, Shazeen Norman van Haaren, Nandi, Ireland: Alan Reynolds, Kenya, Lacy Muthui, Kiribati: Naomi Titau, Nepal: Sancheela Lama, Deepak Tamang, New Zealand: Norah Tamang, Philippines: Ryan Saunders, Bernardo and Nelly Balboa, Cecilia Reyes, Samoa: Vaai Toa, Scotland: Alistair Carter, Leona Cowan, South Africa: Graeme, Chonelle and Kyle Combrinck, Shayne Dalton, Chevaughn Du Toit, Grayson Dalton, Janine Hill, Michelle Mucznik, Johannes van der Nest, Megan, Justin, Michaela and Adam Wittstock, Rodger, Cameron, Nathan and Liam Hollins, Alayna and Logan Roux, Zani Wakelin, Taiwan: Yuan Chin Yeh, Thailand: Pornphun Srangphol, Sirilada Yongchaitrakool, United Kingdom: Gillian Archer, Nicholas Bartosiak, Sian Dawson, Andrew and Yasmin McNally, Julie Mustchin, Jeanette Sicely, Suzanne and Gregory Wood, Harry Baxter, Nicholas Day, Stephen Dunsmore, Michael, Delyse and Rebecca Emmott, Michael Gast, Alison Griffin, Sydney, Dennis, Isobel and Nicola Griffiths, Victoria, Michael and Anais Haden-Jones, Robert Hatchell, Allen Hogg, Christopher and Lorna Lea, Stephen Thomas.
Berly George, a nurse at Matariki in Te Awamutu with her husband disa-bility support worker Biju Paul – now a New Zealand citizen – son Nathan Paul and mother Anu George. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Mike and Heather Gast now live in Karāpiro having moved from Te Kūiti recently. They are both from Belfast, married there in 1969, divorced six years later and are back married again. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Waipa mayor Susan O’Regan hugs her electrician Blerim Budllah who became a citizen. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Leading the way in saying their oaths of allegiance to King Charles III. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Waipa mayor Susan O’Regan, left, congratulates Heng Sok, originally from Cambodia.
Waipa citizenship ceremony, mayor Susan O’Regan welcomes participants.
