Ceremony welcomes newest arrivals

ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander babies born at Grampians Health in 2022, and their families, took part in a smoking ceremony last week.

Organised by Aboriginal hospital liaison officers, and conducted by Wadawurrung traditional owner Tammy Gilson, the ceremony was about welcoming the children to country and celebrating their entry from the Dreaming.

It was held in the gardens of Federation University’s Mount Helen campus due to the redevelopment of the Ballarat Base Hospital.

“Smoking ceremonies serve all different purposes,” said Grampians Health AHLO Renee Bosworth. “We can use them for healing, spiritual renewal, strengthening, birth, and sorry business, when someone passes away.

“We like to have a welcome to country smoking ceremony for our babies because it helps protect them.

“We have one when our babies are born, and then when they pass away, we also have a smoking ceremony to help them move on into the dreamtime.”

Ninety-one Indigenous babies were born at Grampians Health in 2022, and seven of them attended the ceremony with their families last week.

Ms Bosworth said the AHLO group involved were proud to be part of the meaningful moment.

“It’s good to see old traditions being brought back,” she said. “When my kids were younger, there was nothing like that at all, but my grandson was part of the smoking ceremony last year.”

The first event of its kind was held at the hospital in 2017, and due to the pandemic, three years’ worth of babies were welcomed to country at last year’s ceremony.