Festivities kicked off with the return of the Australia Day Fun Run, with locals getting into the spirit as they ran, walked and cycled around the iconic Todd River in their best Aussie outfits.
Directly after the Fun Run, Alice Springs welcomed 70 new residents from a diverse range of countries including Bangladesh, Cameroon, Colombia, France, Germany, India, South Korea, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, United Kingdom, United States of America and Zambia.
“I often say that welcoming new citizens to our community is one of the most special things you can do as Mayor, and today that’s particularly true,” Mayor Matt Paterson said.
“Seeing the smile on the faces of our new residents as they are welcomed to their new home, on our national day, fills me with a great deal of pride. I can’t imagine there’s a more special place for such an occasion than right here in the heart of our country.”
Following the Citizenship Ceremony, Mayor Paterson announced the winners of the 2025 Centralian Awards. The 2025 award recipients are:
2025 Centralian Citizenship Awards recipients:
Centralian Citizen of the Year – Jeanette and Peter Gurrie Centralian Young
Citizen of the Year – Armani Francois
Centralian Senior Citizen of the Year – Jovita Price
Students of the Year – Hercules Jones, Emma Vakapora, Joel Connell, Gurasees Kuar and Kaylah La
Community Event of the Year – 2024 West Macs Monster
“We know that our community is full of tremendous people. The winners of the2025Centralian Citizenship awards exemplify what is truly great about our community,” Mayor Matt Paterson said.
“They share a common trait of putting the joy of others before themselves and they make our town a better place. I would like to offer a heartfelt congratulations to the2025award winners and say thank you for all that you do. I would also like to acknowledge and say thank you to all nominees across all categories.”
Alice Springs Town Council extends a special thank you to Girl Guides Alice Springs, Apex Club of Central Australia, Emergency Services of Alice Springs, Brenden Heenan and the Alice Springs Town Band for their support on the day.