WHEN Fleetwood Grobler drove through Tamworth for the first time, it was love at first sight.
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Mr Grobler emigrated to Australia from South Africa five years ago.
He now owns two local businesses, has become a pillar of the community and on Thursday, he and his family of three all became Australian citizens.
The fifth generation farmer lived in Coonabarabran for a few months after arriving in 2017, but it was on a trip through Tamworth that he found the place he wanted to call home.
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"We drove in, got an agent and bought a farm a month later, and moved here," he said.
"We will never leave Tamworth."
Five years on, Mr Grobler owns two businesses in the country music capital, Beaumont Tiles and Tamworth Fishing and Tackle.
The family's long journey to citizenship finally came to an end on Thursday.
"It wasn't an easy process," he said.
"The visa takes a long time to get approved.
"And it's a big waiting game and there's always something that goes wrong. And then you have to re-do something."
But he said it was well worth the wait.
Finally holding the piece of paper, he said he felt "relieved".
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