Premier welcomes new citizens home to WA

The West Australian premier was on hand to welcome Australia's newest citizens as they attended the states largest ceremony at the City of Wanneroo.

Emanuela, Edoardo and Giovanni Paolucci

The Paolucci family have celebrated becoming citizens at a ceremony in Perth (AAP)

Many of Australia's newest citizens have already formed lifelong friendships after moving to a suburban Perth community.

The Paoluccis emigrated from Italy five years ago and brought many of their new friends along to celebrate becoming citizens at a ceremony in the City of Wanneroo.

"We've made a lot of friends, they are our family now," Emanuela Paolucci told AAP.

She and her husband Giovanni, 45, work full time but also have their own business, an Italian food truck.

Their 11-year-old son Edoardo is already fluent in English and attends

"(Becoming a citizen) is a big opportunity, a beautiful present for us," she said. "I'm 42 and I feel like I've been given a second chance at life."

A total of 2,829 people became citizens in ceremonies across WA.

Premier Mark McGowan attended Western Australia's biggest ceremony at the City of Wanneroo where he greeted more than 600 people from 44 countries as new citizens.

Mr McGowan said WA was the most multicultural state in Australia.

"In Victoria it's 29 to 30 per cent were born overseas, in WA it's 33 per cent," he said.

And about 20 per cent of people in Wanneroo spoke a language other than English at home.

Midland detective Michael Edwards speaks fluent English, having emigrated from New Zealand, but his wife Zaira Alieva, and step-daughter Amina Khugaeva, also speak Russian.

The three became citizens on Friday after Mr Edwards was fast-tracked by WA police.

He said his family's first act as Australians was a barbecue.

"We've got to go home and set everything out, we even got decorations," he said.

About 300,000 people will also attend the largest Australia Day party along the Swan River, when the Skyworks show begins at 8pm.

This year 19 barges will set off 37,000 fireworks, the largest in the show's history, with people arriving early morning to grab the best vantage points on the shores of South Perth and Kings Park.

The warm weather is forecast to continue into the late afternoon, bringing sunshine all day before cooling to 18C in the evening.


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Source: AAP



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