MELBOURNE - On Sunday May 4th, the Croatian Consulate and the Croatian Catholic Church (Sunshine) held a special celebration and presentation of the latest batch of Croatian citizens by the Consul General Leon Rasic saw approximately 150 people attend this year's special event.

A hearty lunch was followed by live entertainment from local folkloric group ''Mladi Hrvati Clifton Hill'', which preceded the citizenship presentation by host Petar Gelo and Rasic, who paid tribute to Croatians in the Diaspora for their desire to become citizens of their motherland.

"From 1991, right up to the present day, Croatians worldwide have shown their support with over one million people becoming citizens and Australian Croatians have indeed been the frontrunners", Rasic told the gathering.

A total of sixty new Croats were presented with their certificate and other documentation during the proceedings, with 315 in all gaining their documents over the course of 2007.

Rasic stated that the recipients were now entitled to receive their 'Domovnica' (actual citizenship papers), passport and 'osobna karta' (Personal ID card) and receive all the rights and benefits every Croatian citizen is entitled to.

One of the new recipients, second generation Australian Croat Ivana Bacak, was proud to receive her citizenship, along with her sister Kristina, mother Ljubica and father Ante.

"I feel that the Croatian citizenship brings us closer to our heritage and our roots", Ms. Bacak, whose family hails from Tomislavgrad, said after the ceremony.

(with Josip LONCARIC)