Billy Kadwell and Yasmin Cavanagh welcome their second daughter, Brydie, who is the 50th baby to be born at the Weipa Integrated Health Service maternity unit. Photo: Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service.
The Weipa maternity unit is celebrating its 50th birth as it continues to help families stay with their local support network since starting in May 2024.
Second-time parents Yasmin Cavanagh and Billy Kadwell welcomed their baby girl, Brydie, at the facility on 8 February.
The couple’s first daughter, Baileigh, was born just prior to the reopening of the Weipa service, meaning they were away from friends and community for six weeks while they prepared for her arrival in Cairns.
With Ms Cavanagh and Mr Kadwell living less than five minutes from the hospital, it was a much easier journey compared to the 800-kilometre journey to Cairns.
“It felt really good to be able to have the baby in Weipa and not have to stress about the logistics of being in Cairns,” Ms Cavanagh said.
“The maternity team were amazing, just reassuring you and making sure you’re OK.”
Brydie is the fourth baby of 2026, while 32 births were recorded in 2025, and 14 in 2024.
Among the last births of the year in Weipa in 2025 was baby Ace, born on 9 December to parents Emily and Alistair Thorogood and a brother to Kai and Vin.
Middle child Vin was the first baby born at Weipa’s new birthing service on 28 May 2024.
Ms Thorogood said she, husband Alistair and first son Kai had been preparing to fly to Cairns to give birth to Vin early in 2024 when the opening date for the new Weipa birthing service was announced.
“My first son Kai was born in Mareeba, so we had to fly out of Weipa at 36 weeks, and that would have been even more difficult to do to give birth to Vin, while having Kai at home to consider,” she said.
“With Vin, I was able to labour at home for a while, then just drive two minutes to the hospital and he was born half an hour later.
“It was great to be able to do the same with Ace.”
Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Rex O’Rourke said the 50th birth was a major milestone for the Weipa Integrated Health Service birthing unit.
“Our Weipa birthing unit has been going from strength to strength since restarting services in early 2024, and we look forward to seeing many more babies born there,’’ he said.
“Thursday Island Hospital continues to deliver a high-quality birthing service, welcoming around 80–100 babies each year.
“At Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service, strong progress is being made toward safely resuming local birthing services, following workforce shortages.
“For the first time since 2019, we have fully recruited our midwifery and anaesthetic workforce and are finalising remaining obstetric positions to support a safe, sustainable 24/7 service later this year.”
