On Australia Day, 90 people from across the globe will stand together in Wollongong and pledge to become Australian citizens.
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Wollongong Town Hall will host the annual Australia Day citizenship ceremony.
Xin Wang, originally from China, has been living in Australia since 2006.
Her husband, Di Wu, immigrated a year earlier, and their son, Yihan, was born in Australia and is now three.
The couple are set to take the pledge, along with their son.
"I think it is important that we celebrate the ceremony together," Mrs Wang said.
Her husband's parents will fly to Australia for the ceremony before returning to China in March.
National Institute of Dramatic Art chief executive Lynne Williams is this year's Wollongong Australia Day ambassador and will address the city's newest citizens.
"It is a great privilege to speak to these people about the contract that comes with becoming a citizen," Ms Williams said.
"When you become a citizen you get the rights that come with being an Australian, yet you also accept the duties.
"There is an expectation that new citizens will make a contribution to the community, bringing with them a richness of culture, ideas and skills".
Mrs Wang and her husband are looking forward to their impending citizenship.
"We have settled in Australia now that we have a baby, and we love the friendly people and the atmosphere," Mrs Wang said.
Mrs Wang currently works at Wollongong's Nan Tien Temple, but plans to move to Sydney after the ceremony to reduce her husband's commute to work.
The ceremony will not be an overly formal occasion.
"It is about celebrating a new beginning for a lot of people," Ms Williams said.
"A lot of people will be celebrating, and even taking part alongside their families".
Since the first Australian citizenship ceremony in 1949, more than four million people have become Australian citizens.
GETTING THERE:
- Free "park and ride"
- Leave your car at JJ Kelly Park and Vikings Oval and catch the free bus. Buses operate every 15 minutes from noon-11pm.
- Free Gong Shuttle bus
- Leave your car at Dalton Park and catch the Gong Shuttle bus from 8am-noon (every 20 minutes) and noon-11pm (every 10 minutes).
- Buses will be re-routed via Corrimal Street due to road closures.
ROAD CLOSURES:
- 5am-10.15pm: Marine Drive; Flagstaff Hill; Cliff Road between Marine Drive and Bourke Street; Bourke Street between Cliff Road and Kembla Street; Harbour Street between Smith Street and Cliff Road; Robertson, Hector and Hinton Streets.
- 5am-10.15pm: Fish Co-op Road and Inner Harbour
- 5am to 10.15pm: No access into Campbell Street from Corrimal Street eastbound.
WHAT'S ON
LANG PARK:
- Food and market stalls
- Amusement rides
- Noon-8.10pm: Telstra main stage entertainment
- Noon-6pm: Test your skills against the Wollongong Coal Hawks
- Noon-8pm FREE Train Ride sponsored by the Illawarra Mercury
- Explore the event site by train. Departs from the top of Lang Park.
*Rides in Lang Park will close at 8.30pm and operate from noon, Jan 24-26
WOLLONGONG TOWN HALL
- 10.30am: The largest citizenship ceremony of the year.
CLIFF ROAD
- 12.30pm: Gun Battery March & Firing of the Cannons - a re-enactment party of soldiers from the 1880s fort will march from the Old Courthouse to Smith’s Hill Battery on Cliff Road.
- Cannons will be fired at 1pm.
BELMORE BASIN
- 8am-11.30am: Australia Day Aquathon & Community Walk.
- Noon: Wollongong Yacht Club Dinghy Race.
- Noon-1pm: WAVE FM thong throwing competition.
- 11.30am and 2.30pm: Wollongong Yacht Club Sailing Regatta.
- 1pm-3.30pm: WAVE FM Sand Sculpture Competition. Nippers: 10yrs and under. Whales: 11yrs + including families.
- 2pm and 6.50pm: Southern Biplane Adventure’s Air Show
OSBORNE PARK
- 12.30pm-5pm: McDonald’s children’s main stage for kids entertainment
FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR, 9PM, WOLLONGONG HARBOUR
