Australia Day citizenship ceremony, Taronga Zoo
Channel: Australian Department of Home Affairs
Date: 2011-01-28

Some 13 000 people from 143 countries made the Australian citizenship pledge to become our nation's newest citizens at 325 special ceremonies across the country as part of Australia Day celebrations on January 26.

Australia's newest citizens will join more than four million other people who have chosen to become Australian citizens since the first citizenship ceremony in 1949. 

Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Bowen presided over a special ceremony at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, where 42 people from more than 20 countries took the citizenship pledge to officially join the Australian family. 

New citizens were not only treated to spectacular harbour views and a visit from some of the zoo's residents, but each new Australian also became honorary "zoo parents", sponsoring a koala for the next year.