Dubbo’s first Welcome to Baby ceremony was held on Friday to highlight the importance of community.
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The Welcome to Baby event was organised in conjunction with Buninyong School as Community Centre (SaCC), Live Better and Dubbo Family Day Care.
A smoking ceremony was held, ochre was painted onto the babies’ faces and feet and parents were asked to make special promises to their children. The promises were then planted under a new tree in Victoria Park.
Each family was also given their own tree to take home and plant.
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SaCC’s Lorna Brennan said while it was an Aboriginal tradition, the event was open to all babies under three-years-old, with even Chinese and Nepalese youngsters in attendance.
“Children are our future and we want to support them in every way we can,” Ms Brennan said.
The Welcome to Baby was the first of its kind in Dubbo, but Ms Brennan said she was hoping to make it an annual event.