BIRTHING identification cards for new babies born at Portland District Health (PDH) have taken on an indigenous theme.
The cards evolved from discussions with the indigenous community and are presented free to all new babies.
Bibs with the same design have also been distributed to new parents this month.
PDH Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander workforce officer Sonia Shelton said the new cards and bibs were organised with help from South West Alternative Medium Project Incorporation, which is a local indigenous community arts organisation specialising in fibre arts.
Chief executive Chris Giles said PDH was excited about the new design and enjoyed gifting the cards to newborn babies and their families.
The bibs and cards were designed by local Gunditjmara woman Kellie Frankland, a traditional/contemporary artist who has practised her art for more than 20 years.
The newborn identification card has been designed to incorporate a “seeds” design as the watermark and acknowledges being born on Gunditjmara country.
Acknowledgement of the artist and the meaning of the artwork is printed on the back of the card.
