Councillor Don Palmer Providing Local Leadership & Working for You
Australia Day provides the City of Unley an opportunity to welcome those who have chosen to live in this community who have ventured here from oversees. This is a group of citizens who have not only chosen to live here but to become truly one of us. We welcome today 46 new Unley residents as Australians.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie….

The Eastern Courier posted this storey in this weeks edition.

A SENSE of adventure and a glowing review meant the Matanhire family did not need much persuading to leave Zimbabwe and make Australia home.

The family, Elvis, 45, and Silence, 41, and two of their three children, Caroline, 19, and Anesu, 15, will become Australian citizens this Australia Day as part of an Unley Council ceremony.

Their youngest child, Rumbidzai, 4, was born in Australia. Mrs Matanhire said the family’s “adventurous” spirit led them to move to Adelaide. “I used to travel a lot as a nurse to different African countries, teaching about HIV and AIDS to other nurses and healthcare professionals’, Mrs Matanhire said. “My sister-in-law already lived in Sydney and she told us what a beautiful place Australia was to live. We love to travel and seeing other places”.

The family moved from Mutarein Zimbabwe in 2006, first living in Mitcham before moving to Fullarton. “It’s a very quiet neighbourhood and that was the same in our neighbourhood in Zimbabwe; we like that’, Mr Matanhire said.  “We are close to businesses, shops, church, school, work, everything we need’.

Mr Matanhire said becoming a citizen was like “taking a step into a new life”. “It feels very good, you feel like you can plan your life’’ he said. Mrs Matanhire said becoming a citizen meant “you belong to the country; you belong to Australia”.

The family will join 46 others who will be granted Australian citizenship at the Unley Town Hall, 181 Unley Rd, Unley, on Today From 9.30am.