Cherokee woman from North Carolina now an Orange Aussie

You'd forgive her for feeling a little envious.

Kathleen ShaunaSay WhiteFeather Gardner, who was born in the US state of North Carolina, didn't want to grumble, grateful as she was for the opportunity to not only live in Orange, but become an Australian citizen.

But as citizenship ceremonies go, hers was a bit of a bummer.

COVID regulations and timing regarding visas and paperwork had meant that rather than attending a formal citizenship ceremony at the Orange City Council chambers or on Australia Day, she and others had to do it individually via video link.

"I got an email saying either I do it virtual or let the application expire and start all over again," she said.

"A lot of us were forced to do the virtual so we didn't have to do it all over again."

Mrs ShaunaSay WhiteFeather Gardner said she used her laptop to partake in the ceremony.

"It was just me and [a council staffer] at 10 o'clock [in the morning] and it took 10 minutes - he swore me in, asked me to do the pledge and that was all she wrote.

"Maybe I'm sounding like a crybaby, but all that hard work and all those years of looking forward to becoming a citizen, you know?

"When I decided I wanted to be a citizen it was a very joyous thing, just like getting married.

"[Council said] because of COVID we cannot meet and have a ceremony, next thing I know after doing the virtual here's this other one. Right here in [Cook Park] in the home town. What a letdown."

After expressing her disappointment to Orange City Council, she said that the cause of all those who had done virtual ceremonies was taken up by councillor Scott Munro.

It has resulted in council inviting those who had to make their pledge virtually to the Australia Day celebrations on Tuesday.

Mrs ShaunaSay WhiteFeather Gardner worked most of her career as a nurse.

During one job as a live-in aide she found herself with little to do and started using her spare time to work as a moderator on live video gaming.

In applying for one such position she was interviewed by a man from Orange, Scott Civil Gardner, and so began five years of getting to know each other from about 15,660km apart.

One thing led to another, Mr Gardner went to visit Mrs ShaunaSay WhiteFeather Gardner in the US, she came back and - a few years and visa hiccups later - they were married in Sydney about eight years ago.

Mrs ShaunaSay WhiteFeather Gardner has settled in well.

The couple enjoy trips into the Blue Mountains ("so that I don't get so homesick") to ride the beast, she has met with local Indigenous elders to share stories and learn, and as a night owl she is able to work as a counsellor to people in the US and locally.

"I love it here," she said.

"It's like living 50 years back in time - it's not so fast.

"Although Australia is getting more fast-paced - they like to be like America, which I think is very sad.

"Australia needs to stay the way it is. People are a whole lot friendlier, people take one day at a time like it used to be in America when I was growing up.

"America right now has lost that.

"They're so busy with their nose stuck in a phone there's no human contact anymore and people have lost the gift of conversation."

Visitors to Cook Park on Tuesday for Australia Day celebrations will need to sign in using the QR codes provided.

The corner gates of the park will be locked.

Once visitors have signed in, they will need to show the confirmation of their check in, on their phone, to staff and volunteers at the gates and receive a wrist band.

Children will be entertained by giant, inflatable slippery dips, a jumping castle and a bungee run.

The East Orange Physical Culture Club, Colour City Dance School, the Orange Male Voice Choir, the Canobolas Highland Band and the City of Orange Brass Band will perform.

There will be dozens of market stalls, a Lions Club BBQ, Bodhi Garden and Mr Whippy's Ice Cream van.

The event at Cook Park is expected to finish at about 1pm, and people can head to the Orange Aquatic Centre where entry will be free.