But today will be a bigger milestone for the family of Miroslaw Nowacki, Barbara Nowacka and their 20-year-old daughter Agata Nowacka.

Today they will become Australian citizens.

In February 2007, Mr Nowacki moved from Bytom, a city in

the region of Silesia, to Australia after being sponsored to work for Melbourne-based freight line company Bunker Freight Lines.

Once established in Wagga, the halfway point on the freight line between Melbourne and Sydney, Mrs Nowacka and Agata followed.

It has taken five years for the family to go through the process of becoming citizens, gaining permanent residency and having to wait for the minimum period to apply for citizenship.

While they didn’t choose Australia Day to be the day they would be officially presented with their citizenship, Mr Nowacki said it was a fitting day for the family to do so after adjusting to the Australian way of life.

“Yes, it is a great day. We’re excited to take our citizenship,” Mr Nowacki said.

And now they have it, they still have no plans to move.

“We will stay (in Wagga). We really like it. It’s a beautiful place,” he said.

After completing her book-keeping certificates at NSW TAFE Riverina Institute, Agata now hopes to join the Australian Defence Force.

All she was waiting on was her citizenship.

“I am hoping to join the navy. My grandfather was in

the army, but I’ve always liked the sea,” she said.

The Nowackis will be joined by 15 others today – from Sudan, India, the UK, Austria, South Africa, Republic of the Congo, the Philippines and Canada – in gaining their Australian citizenship.

Wagga’s citizenship ceremony will take place during the official Australia Day ceremony today from 8.15am in the Victory Memorial Gardens.