Wanniassa social worker Joby Cyriac on Friday joined the rest of his family in becoming an Australian.
Growing up in India, Joby and his wife Merin dreamed of one day moving to Australia.
Their dream was realised in 2018.
Joby, 37, says this is the place he wants to see his family grow up - in a nation where he admires the values upheld and wants to contribute to its development "in all ways possible".
He became a citizen in the national ceremony by the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.
"It's a very proud moment," he said.
"I took some time to make this important decision and it's the best decision I've made because we've moved to a country where there is a great amount of security and I'm very happy with the decision," he said.
"My family, they became citizens last year and I'm very happy to join them."
G-G on the country that 'pays us back threefold'
At the national citizenship ceremony in Canberra on Friday, Governor-General David Hurley said it was common for people to quote the most famous lines of Dorothea Mackellar's My Country - those about a "sun-burnt country", "land of sweeping plains" and the "wide brown land for me".
But he preferred to quote a lesser known line to the new Australians.
"I want to finish at the end of that poem and where she leaves us, the tribulations she points to are pertinent - fire, flood, famine, " the Governor-General said.
"But she has this words for us:
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold
" She pays us back threefold. That's the country you have become citizens of today
"For all it's a tough country, for all it throws at us, it pays us back threefold and the reason it pays us back threefold is because of who is sitting here today, it's the people. People are so good.
"And having, with Linda, been privileged to be governor of NSW and [then] Governor-General for 10 years now, I can tell you, they are rock solid.
"So you have made a very wise decision in becoming a citizen here today.
"Congratulations."
PARK RUN GOES GREEN AND GOLD
For many Canberrans, participating in the the Saturday morning park run is an essential part of their weekend.
Many local park runs are continuing the fun of the Australia Day long weekend.
Some are calling for participants to dress up.
Among them is the Point Hut Pond parkrun which is calling on all runners to don the green and gold for their morning 5km.
See what turns up at you local gambol.
