Hosted by Waminda’s shared Chief Executive Leadership Team consisting of Cleone Wellington, Hayley Longbottom, Lisa Wellington and Kristine Falzon, and the Birthing on Country manager Melanie Briggs, it was a tremendous day signifying years of persistence, passion and commitment. Cleone Wellington pronounced “Nine years it has taken to get here as an organisation and community. But we always honour those who have walked this journey before us, fighting for the reclamation of not just land, but for our birthing rights, our lore and our women’s business. We are here because of the strong Blak women in this community paving the way and are honoured to be entrusted and given the responsibility to follow through.”
The morning’s event began with a beautiful Welcome to Country from Aunty Cheryl Cowan and Aunty Lynn Wellington, who spoke to the significance of the land in which the birth centre is being built and honouring the ancestors whose strength was certainly felt amongst all.
During the formalities of the event, we heard from the Honourable Aunty Linda Burney, who has been a long-time advocate for Waminda and in her role as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, cemented the Labor Government’s commitment to Birthing on Country by allocating $22 million for the construction of the birth centre. Aunty Linda Burney expressed, “bringing back our ways to birthing has an amazing impact, not just on that mother and baby, but on that family and keeping our kids out of the system”.
An emotional moment during the ceremony was listening to the heartfelt gratitude from one of our beautiful mums who shared a story about her pregnancy care experience in the Minga Gudjaga program at Waminda. There wasn’t a dry eye in sight as she retold;
“…Towards the end of my pregnancy it got a bit scary and complicated, but I had Xave and Lulu there throughout the whole way with me. Every single thing I needed, they were there. Xave and Lulu are part of my family now, bringing my little boy into the world. I had one of the best births I could have asked for, for my first baby, I knew I had the best midwives there with me, I was so relaxed going into it, and I couldn’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done”.
On behalf of Waminda, the CELT team, and Senior Balaang, Cleone Wellington gave thanks to all those on a local, state and federal level who have believed and stood beside us throughout this journey. To conclude the ceremony’s formalities, Aunty Cheryl Cowan, Aunty Lynn Wellington, Aunty Linda Burney and Melanie Briggs used a traditional digging stick to turn the soil, marking the commencement of building the world’s first Aboriginal-led Birthing Centre.
“Today is for our future Gudjagas, we have reclaimed our birthing rights to practice our lore with our Gudjagas, to give birth in a sacred space into their belonging to the Mother, taking their first breath of air that is cleansed and healing, welcoming them to their journey into being. It’s about their future, to not only survive but to thrive”, as expressed by Cleone Wellington.
We conclude with some very special and shared sentiments from ILSC GCEO Joe Morrison.
“At the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, our mission is to empower First Nation communities by nurturing initiatives that celebrate our rich history and traditions. The progress of the Birthing on Country program reflects our commitment to furthering self-determination for First Nations peoples.”
“We are proud to support the Waminda Birthing on Country program. This initiative is a powerful reminder of the enduring strength of First Nations culture and the vital role that culturally safe health care plays in preserving our heritage.”
Photography by Tanisha Martin of Yilaag Marring Photography.
