National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program
About the Birth Certificate Program
The Pathfinders National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program is making it easier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply for and receive their birth certificate. The Pathfinders National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Project is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program that aims to readress this issue by conducting sign-up days in towns and areas where there are significant numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who don’t have birth certificates.
Without a birth certificate First Nations people are excluded from many of life’s important moments – driving a car, applying for a job, enrolling in school and sport, opening a bank account, voting, and accessing government services.
As of 27 April 2023 the program has supported more than 18,000 applicants. Privately funded, the PNABC holds face-to-face sign-up days across the country. The program is delivered according to demand and where there is the greatest need.
Led by our Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander team, the PNABC has built a culture of trust and accountability, with participants reporting a high level of confidence in our ability to deliver the birth certificate program.
Our strong reputation, experience, and established stakeholder relationships and networks within Indigenous communities, have made us a leader in this field.
Who is eligible?
- Any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person whose birth was not registered; or
- Any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who does not have a birth certificate.
What do you need to bring to a sign-up day?
Any proof of identification you may have including:
a) Driver’s license
b) Medicare card
c) Proof of Aboriginality
d) Health Care Card
e) Pension Card
f) Student ID Card
How to access the program?
You can apply for a birth certificate by:
- Attending one of our PNABC sign up days face to face; or
- Email our coordinator at pnabc@pathfinders.ngo to request an application pack.

Donations and Crowd Funding
Pathfinders is not currently funded to run the PNABC program and has launched a campaign to crowd fund the Pathfinders National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program.
For all inquiries regarding the campaign and media:
Call: 0418 985 169
Email: ToniR@pathfinders.ngo
Why is this program so important for Aboriginal people?
An estimated 200,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples do not have a birth certificate. As a consequence, they struggle to fully participate in Australian society without this simple but vital document.
They experience difficulty enrolling in schools and in accessing mainstream services, such as opening bank accounts, joining sporting clubs, voting, and applying for a job, a driver’s licence or a passport.
You can donate at Chuffed.org to help us help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people get their birth certificates.
Any amount you can spare will go directly to supporting the program to keep it alive.
What are the barriers faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to obtaining a birth certificate and why is Pathfinders PNABC sign up days so important?
- Many Indigenous Australians live at or below the poverty line and do not have the capacity to pay the fee for obtaining a birth certificate
- There is a low priority and understanding within the Australian Indigenous community of the importance and benefits of having a birth registered and having a birth certificate
- There is confusion regarding the difference between birth registration and birth certificates
- Indigenous Australians lack confidence in dealing with authorities
- There is a general suspicion of authorities among Indigenous Australians, stemming from the policies that led to the Stolen Generations
- Inflexible policies, bureaucratic hurdles and practices of some BDMs make it impractical, if not impossible, for some Indigenous people to obtain a birth certificate
- There may be language barriers or literacy issues in completing the birth registration process
- Lack of access to the internet and computers, and poor computer literacy, means registering a birth and applying for a birth certificate online is impossible
News and Events
Pathfinders National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program with be heading to Central Western NSW to hold 10 new sign-up events.
Narrandera
Tuesday 2 May 2023 | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Narrandera Public School Community Hall Entry via Bolton Street Narrandera
Griffith
Thursday 4 May 2023 | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service, 38-42 Jondaryan Ave Griffith
Hay
Monday 8 May 2023 | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Hay Aboriginal Medical Services 78 Lachlan Street Hay
Balranald
Wednesday 10 May | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Maari Ma Health, 95 Court Street Balranald
Cobar
Tuesday 6 June | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Cobar Local Aboriginal Land Council, 23 Railway Parade Cobar
Nyngan
Wednesday 7 June 2023 | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Nyngan Local Aboriginal Land Council, 102 Pangee Street Nyngan
Warren
Thursday 8 June 2023 | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Warren Local Aboriginal Land Council, 164 Dubbo Street Warren
Gilgandra
Friday 9 June 2023 | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Gilgandra Local Aboriginal Medical Services, 140 Warren Road Gilgandra
Gunnedah
Tuesday 13 June 2023 | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Gunida Gunyah Aboriginal Corporation, 167-169 Conadilly Street Gunnedah
Coonabarabran
Wednesday 14 June 2023 | 9:30am – 3:00pm
Coonabarabran Local Aboriginal Land Council, 61 John Street Coonabarabran
PNABC sign up events are held in conjunction with UNICEF Australia and supported by NSW Government Registry of Birth Deaths and Marriages.
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Pathfinders and Unicef Australia partnership to pave the way towards universal birth registration
Pathfinders, an Armidale based not-for-profit, and UNICEF Australia have joined forces to shine a spotlight on the pressing and urgent issue that too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children …
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Calls for outreach support in remote communities to help First Nations’ people gain birth certificates
For 17 years, Dakota Saltner did not exist in the eyes of the government. The teenager was born in the remote Indigenous community of Woorabinda, central Queensland, in 2004 but …
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National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program crowd fund
We’ve launched our campaign to crowd fund the Pathfinders National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program. Please donate at Chuffed.org/project/pnabc to help us help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people get their birth certificate. …
National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Program crowd fund Read More »
Program Contacts
Ronald Naden
Phone: 0429 684 488
Email: pnabc@pathfinders.ngo
2/26 Gordon Street,
COFFS HARBOUR NSW 2450
Mon – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Media Contact
Phone: 0407 415 493
Email: tonir@pathfinders.ngo
Enquiry
Request a Birth Certificate Application Pack
Please provide your details below and our program coordinator will be in contact with you shortly.