Staff Sgt Wilson was in the British Army from 1982 to 2004, serving at bases such as Germany and Kosovo, before emigrating to New Zealand and joining the New Zealand Army, based at Burnham Military camp in Christchurch.
Staff Sgt Wilson, who is from Dumfries, Scotland, moved to Dunedin in October 2005, after his partner enrolled in a course at the University of Otago.
He is now the full-time staff sergeant of the 4th Otago-Southland Battalion at Kensington Army Hall.
"I absolutely love it here. I'm going to stay here, in Dunedin, forever.
"I'm never going to leave.
"I felt it in my blood the first time I came here and saw it," Staff Sgt Wilson enthused after his citizenship ceremony in the Glenroy Auditorium yesterday.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull invested 32 new citizens in the ceremony.
"Those who have come here as citizens of other countries will leave today as New Zealanders," Mr Cull said.
"In the years to come, you will share the customs, cultures and traditions of the communities from which you have come and this will benefit us all."
After the ceremony, the new citizens were presented with native New Zealand plants "which symbolise the putting down of roots in your new country", Mr Cull said.
The new citizens are: Ellick, Ann, Candice and Kimberley Adams (South Africa), Sawsan Alawadhi (Kuwait), Nadine Baier (South Africa), Maria Callau (Argentina), Juan Puricelli (Argentina), Sandra Alvarez-Hopkins (Colombia), Tze Jieh Chan (Malaysia), Ming Lung Patrick Cheng (China), Siripen Diggle (Thailand), Phyllis Esplin (Britain), Michael Hamer (Britain), Frances Hazelwood (Britain), Ian Hogg (Britain), Gordon Hudson (Britain), Pulane Mpelega (Botswana), Khomutso and Nontando Nare (South Africa), Wynn and Elisabeth Owen (Britain), Richard Parr (Britain), Candida Savage (Sweden), Kanjana Sheppard (Thailand), Moyra Sweetnam Evans (South Africa), Fafaga Tualima (Samoa), Robert Turner (Britain), Joanna Vallis (Britain), Rupini Vengadesan (Malaysia), Richard Wilson (Britain) and Jason Tai King Woon (Malaysia).
