Brookes artwork Commissioned for Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Kalkadoon contemporary Indigenous artist Brooke Sutton was recently commissioned to create a bespoke artwork for the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The painting called Artii Nganthi, which means Birthing Tree in the Kalkadoon Language will be used on all collateral for the Our Kids Count campaign, which over the next few months will also include the launch of a new Queensland Indigenous birth certificate which will feature Brookes artwork.

The launch was held at the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Brisbane where Brooke and Jennifer Lang The Deputy Director-General unveiled the painting with the Attorney-General launching The Closing the Registration Gap (CTRG) strategy and action plan, one of the actions from the strategy is the Our Kids Count (OKC) campaign

The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages has led the development of the CTRG strategy, action plan and the campaign. It recognises that the rate of birth registration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies is much lower than for non-Indigenous births. 90 per cent of non-Indigenous births were registered within the first 60 days of birth and 96 per cent within the first year of the child’s birth. However, the rate of birth registration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is much lower, with only 62 per cent registered in the first 60 days and 78 per cent within the first year.