For some it's a gathering of friends and a barbecue, while for others it's a day for raising awareness.

Yet, for a small group the day marks a new beginning and a new identity as an Australian citizen.

This Australia Day, Dubbo welcomed 11 new citizens from all walks of life at a ceremony in Victoria Park.

Among those was 20-year-old Jeke Uluivuya.

Mr Uluivuya grew up in Fiji before he moved to Far North Queensland in 2015.

He said the reason his family moved to Australia was because his parents were working as church ministers in remote Indigenous communities.

Mr Uluivuya and his family lived in Queensland for a year before heading to the remote town of Wilcannia where they stayed for four years, until they moved to Dubbo in April 2021.

Upon becoming an Australian citizen on Wednesday, Mr Uluivuya said while it had been a tough journey moving from costal areas in Fiji to the remote outback, so far it had been a good experience.

"I'm very proud to be an Australian citizen," he said.

"I feel very excited and hopefully will get to explore more options we couldn't get back in Fiji."