The year has begun strongly for the Pathfinders National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program, with the team recently hosting the first sign-up events for 2026 in South Australia.
Three successful community events were held across Port Lincoln (17 February), Whyalla (19 February), and Port Augusta (23 February), providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with support to apply for vital identity documents.
The program has been warmly welcomed across South Australia, with strong support from local communities and government partners.
A particularly exciting development for the South Australian events was the support from Births, Deaths and Marriages South Australia, who joined our Pathfinders team on site during the sign-up events. Their presence meant that birth certificates could be processed and printed on the spot, allowing many participants to receive their official documents on the same day they applied. For many community members, this was the first time they had held their own birth certificate.
Photo: Sharon Betts from Port Lincoln was among those who successfully received her birth certificate during the event. Sharon was also able to obtain the death certificates for both her mother and father on the day, something she had been trying to organise for some time.
Families and community members attending the Whyalla event were also pleased to receive their birth certificates on the day, highlighting the value of having services available locally and in a culturally safe environment.
The Port Augusta sign-up event saw strong community attendance, with many people taking the opportunity to access the service and complete applications. Across the three South Australian events, the team supported a total of 496 applications with birth and death certificates.
It has been a pleasure to work with the South Australian Births, Deaths and Marriages team. We sincerely thank them, along with the local communities and community organisations who helped provide venues and supported our team on the ground while in South Australia.
