South Wairarapa officially gained 31 new citizens this week, who were welcomed to the district on by Mayor Martin Connelly and Council Chief Executive Janice Smith at a ceremony held at the Waihinga Centre in Martinborough.

“Today’s new citizens come from all over the world, including Australia, England, Sri Lanka, Germany, India, South Africa, Hong Kong, France, Thailand, Fiji and Scotland. Most of these people live in the Wairarapa, but one person has joined us from the Hutt Valley so that their family can become citizens at one time,” said Mayor Connelly.

The Mayor paid homage to mana whenua, the first people who called this special place home, thanking Kaumatua o Kohunui Marae Matua Abe for his welcome and Councillor Mel Marnard for bringing the new citizens into the Waihinga Centre.

Council Chief Executive Janice Smith gave her warm congratulations to the 31 new citizens. Each person received a young kowhai tree to signify putting down their roots in a new homeland.

“Today your journey toward making New Zealand your home is complete and we welcome you as a fellow New Zealander,” said CEO Janice Smith. “Until today New Zealand was your home; now it is your country, and your future is connected to New Zealand’s future.”

The Mayor shared the story of Kupe, Aotearoa’s first explorer, who landed on the district’s East Coast, as did the English Explorer James Cook, hundreds of years later.

The ceremony closed with singing the New Zealand national anthem and a waita followed by paramanawa (refreshments).

Pictured above: Ech one of South Wairarapa district’s 31 new citizens received one of these kowhai seedlings, which were cultivated by the He Kotare Native Plant Nursery in Featherston and accompanied by a Kiwi made by local children with the help of the Ventana Collective.