There was barely a dry eye in the room as The Terrace School (TTS) Year 8 teacher Jacqui Hopkins was surprised by a student haka at her new citizenship ceremony on Friday.

Along with the stirring performance, the Alexandra Primary School (APS) senior students sung their version of Six60 song Pepeha, accompanied by guitar, the national anthem and an APS Year 8 student leader delivered his mihi fluently in Te Reo Māori. 

A camera crew from Māori Television show The Hui covered the occasion and the episode will air on Monday, September 9.

Watch TTS year eight students perform here. VIDEO: The Central App

Watch APS sing Pepeha. VIDEO: The Central App

Jacqui said following her relatives passing away and Brexit she no longer felt any pride in being British, and she was in her head and her heart a Kiwi.

“I’m proud to say I’m from New Zealand.” 

She has been in Central since the end of 2015, when she moved down from Auckland.

The new citizens came from the United Kingdom, Estonia, Poland, Hong Kong, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia and the United States.

Mayor Tim acknowledged the passing of Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII (Māori Kiingi Tuheitia) overnight on Thursday with a moments silence at the beginning of proceedings.   

Deputy mayor Neil Gillespie attended the new citizens ceremony and took to the lectern as his two sons-in-law became citizens. 

James David Jeffrey hails from Scotland and Marius Ois from Estonia. 

The Gillespie whānau at the ceremony in the Central Otago District Council chambers. PHOTO: The Central App 

Originally from Pennsylvania in the United States, Ria Knasiack has settled in Cromwell after meeting her Kiwi husband Isaac while working in Queenstown in 2013.

“It’s a girl meets boy story.”

She works in viticulture management and has two children at primary school in Cromwell. 

Isaac, Ria and their son Ihaia (8) enjoyed the cheese rolls for morning tea. PHOTO: The Central App

Shaun Forster grew up in England, met his Kiwi wife Katrina and described her as his best friend.

He owns a successful scaffolding business after working his way up in the trade.

It was his second attempt at citizenship as last time their daughter’s birth was overdue, so they couldn’t attend the ceremony.

This time Frankie Bella Forster was along to mark the occasion, at three months old.    

Mayor Tim, Shaun, holding baby Frankie and Katrina. PHOTO: The Central App 

Along with the official paperwork, the new citizens were presented with a native kōwhai seedling, propagated from a 400-year-old kōwhai tree on Bannockburn’s Te Kano Estate.

The new citizens were invited to share a snippet of how they have come to live in this district and mayor Tim and deputy mayor Neil read these out. 

The new citizens were Shaun Forster, Karen Hallsworth, Jacqui Hopkins, James David Jeffrey, Ann Paton all from the United Kingdom; David Grimsdell, Aj and Karin-Michelle van Rooyen, Francois, Talana and Hailey Stols, Jed Mclellan from South Africa: Patrycja Tomas from Poland; Ria Knasiak and Stephanie Zefferino from the United States; Te-Lin Chiu from China; Pui Shan Ip from Hong Kong; Yong Tatt Ooi from Malaysia; Marius Oois from Estonia; and Anik Sukiniarti from Indonesia.