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deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Our world came together as our people stayed apart.

After years in the same job I left that workplace and took on a new career path. I had to adjust to working remotely. In April 2020 we got married in our front paddock with a celebrant and two witnesses. Neither of our families were able to attend due to travel restrictions. Not the location or celebration we had planned but we wanted to start our married life rather than put it off. It meant that we had to find clothes to wear so that one day our parents could see us in our wedding clothes. In April 2021 we got to celebrate our wedding properly but had to select 50 of our nearest and dearest to be with us – we again celebrated at our property due to restrictions on gatherings at public venues. We got lucky with a break in border closures and were able to sneak in a honeymoon at this point. In December 2021, my wife gave birth to our first child. She had to be transferred to a bigger hospital as there was no doctors at the local hospital over the Christmas- New Years period. Sent via ambulance at three in the morning during labour. For the five days she had in hospital (due to complications after the birth) she was not allowed visitors so I didn’t see my newborn until they were able to come home. Once home as anew family it was once again restrictions and flooding that prevented us from seeing our parents and family. Throughout the whole pandemic we really had to rely on each other.

Our world came together as our people stayed apart.

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