A mother left her newborn at a fire station in Conder, a suburb in the southeastern city of Canberra, Australia. The police were notified about the abandoned baby right outside the South Tuggeranong ACT Fire & Rescue Station.
The fire station employees reported the baby at 7:20 a.m. on Nov. 27, according to the press release. The baby was then taken by the ACT paramedics in an ambulance. There were no injuries to the baby, and the doctors said the baby had been born in the last twenty-four hours.
A blue SUV was spotted at the station shortly before the baby was found in the morning. Police are now asking for dash-cam footage of the car to find any information related to the mother. The police have urged anyone who has dash-cam footage of the area between 5 am and 7:30 am on the Tharwa Drive and Drakeford Drive to come forward to help with the investigation.
Newborn Baby Left at Fire Station Just Hours After Birth. Now, Police Are Asking the Public to Help Identify the Mother https://t.co/qV8FTYN8Ay
— People (@people) December 1, 2025
Moreover, the police have urged anyone who thinks their friend or family member may be the mother to help them seek medical attention at the earliest. Their primary concern is the mother’s health and welfare.
So finding out the identity of the mother will help them offer the right medical care. In an update on Sunday, the police still hadn’t found the mother, and the concerns for her health remain. In most cases where the mother abandons her baby, it points towards a teenage pregnancy, mental illness or abusive relationships.
This suggests the mother may need additional care. One reader under the People’s story commented, “If she was responsible enough to leave her baby in a safe place, she’s clearly capable of seeking medical care on her own. She did the right thing — now let her have the privacy and space she needs.”
ACT Policing is seeking to identify the mother of a baby that was found at the South Tuggeranong ACT Fire & Rescue Station in Conder this morning. ACT Policing’s sole concern is for the health and welfare of the baby’s mother. She should attend a hospital, ring an ambulance or… pic.twitter.com/OM9EXalaCU
— ACT Policing (@ACTPolicing) November 27, 2025
Some readers were confused, noting that the “Safe Haven Baby Box program” is meant to allow anonymous surrender, so the police should not look for them. Such programs have been adopted in several countries where mothers who cannot take care of their babies may leave them at the station.
It’s worth noting that it is illegal to abandon a baby in Australia. Parents are encouraged to speak to the parenting helplines and Lifeline service for support. Another reader commented. “I agree with the other commenters. If she wanted to be known, she would have done it differently. She had the wherewithal to leave the baby in a safe location. I, too, hope she is well and will be fine. Unless there are indications she isn’t well, let her be.”
