The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters’ Australia Day and Citizenship Ceremony celebrated the work of a long serving Justice of the Peace, while also welcoming 26 new Australians.
Speaking at the outdoor ceremony on St Peter’s Street, Mayor Robert Bria described the tireless dedication of the Council’s 2022 Local Citizen of the Year Award, Mr Sudhir Thakur.
Mr Thakur provides weekly Justice of the Peace services to the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters as well as the Campbelltown Council.
During the 2020 COVID pandemic, Mr Thakur played a vital role as one of the two remaining volunteer Justice of Peace officers willing to facilitate the continuation and commitment of NPSP’s Justice of Peace program.
Together with fellow JP volunteer, Mick Roache, Mr Thakur performed more than 8,000 JP services for people who travelled to the Norwood Town Hall from across the metropolitan area and regional South Australia.
“This meant that unlike many councils – our Council was one of the few locations across Adelaide that was still able to provide the vital service thanks to the help of Mr Thakur,” Mayor Bria said.
“As a long serving volunteer, Mr Thakur has contributed significantly to a range of services across Adelaide including Meals on Wheels and a TAFE volunteer English tutor for migrants.
“He is an incredibly worthy recipient and I extend my sincere congratulations to Mr Thakur.”
Mayor Bria described the day – which included the Australia Day Awards, a performance from the Australians Girls Choir and the Citizenship Ceremony, as a true celebration of Australia, while acknowledging the traditional owners with a special acknowledgement of country.
“For more than 60,000 years this country has been enriched by the wonderful diversity of cultures that has enriched our society,” he said.
After reading the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance, 26 residents―from Bangladesh, Canada, China, Hungary, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam―became Australian citizens.
“Citizenship is the life-long invitation to participate in the community life of Australia and on behalf of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, I congratulate all the new citizens and I extend my best wishes to you and your families for a healthy, happy and prosperous future,” Mayor Bria said.
