Becoming a formal Australian citizen is a big moment for many, allowing them to vote in elections at all levels and apply for an Australian passport. It also allows for further employment opportunities in the public sector or defence force, as well as children being citizens by descent.

Arti Parmar took the pledge yesterday, and she was very excited.

"I'm officially Australian! Now I can vote, but the passport is the main thing," she said.

Miss Parmar has been in Griffith for six years, with her partner Sanjay Devalia becoming a citizen back in 2015.

Mayor Doug Curran, who conducted the ceremony, was pleased to see the number of new citizens choosing to set themselves up in Griffith.

"It's really great. That's a fairly high number for regional Australia, it shows the strength we have as a community."

He explained that a lot of the other cities he'd seen had had new citizens in the lower numbers, and that it spoke to the strength of Griffith's character.

"I didn't see anyone that had near the 50s," Cr Curran said.

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"We've got plenty of opportunity in Griffith. There's plenty of employment. We're an attractive multicultural community, I think that's part of it. People come and live here, and that entices others."

"It really speaks to Griffith being a positive community and being a great place to live and raise a family."

With over 50 brand-new, formalised Australians agreeing, it's hard to argue.

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