Bunuba woman Patsy came into the world on Country with no official record of her birth.
So the Fitzroy Crossing resident spent the first 75-odd years of her life without a birth certificate.
Last month she finally got one, thanks to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM).
Acting Manager Community Engagement Marnie was able to deliver the document to Patsy during a visit to the region.
"She was so excited," Marnie says. "It was a joyful and special moment.
"We do a lot of this kind of work and can spend a fair bit of time on an individual case. But it's not very often you get to hand over a certificate in person."
Patsy got the ball rolling last year when she attended one of the Department's Aboriginal Justice Open Days.
In cases like these, Registry staff tap an applicant's knowledge of their birth and comb through available records to build an official picture.
RBDM's community engagement officers go far and wide to secure for people the identity documents necessary to access critical services and pursue education, training and employment.
Marnie delivered Patsy's certificate while visiting communities in the Kimberley's Fitzroy Valley, where the Registry is assisted by the Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation.
