Mayor McBain said the day is an “opportunity to stop and reflect on what we want for our country and our families, and ask ourselves how we can be better and do better”.

“Australia Day is also a history lesson,” she said.

“The experiences and stories of this country span one of the oldest living cultures on the planet, as well as European settlement and exploration.

“As different as those histories can be at times, there are often shared values and ambitions that rise to the surface as those histories are shared.

“At our core we are a nation of people who value being Australian, and what that means to us, and says to the world.”

“It’s freedom that comes as easy as the next breath, a celebration and acceptance of different cultures, an emphasis on friendship, a spirit that has a go, a sense of fun, and an empathy that steps up when we see a need,” she said

She said the annual citizenship ceremony helps build on the region’s “terrific multicultural heritage”.

“The stories of these people and the talent they bring make us stronger,” she said.

“That is what I celebrate and commit myself to on Australia Day, and I look forward to celebrating with you.”