Gracie Lye is one of seven local babies born in Tamworth hospital on Thursday, February 29, which means she and her companions have become members of a very exclusive club.
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Born to Larissa and Matthew Lye of Kootingal, Gracie Jayne had been due on February 23, but did not arrive until 5.30pm on the 29th, weighting 3.975 kilograms (eight pounds, 12 ounces in 'old money').
Whether is was luck, or stubbornness on her part, Gracie has joined the exclusive ranks of Australia's 'leaplings' or 'leapers', named for being born on the extra day in the month of February that falls every four years.
The last leap year was in 2020.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics says about 2300 Australians were born on February 29 between 2007 and 2016. There are pros and cons to being a 'leaplings' - filling out your birthday on forms can sometimes be tricky - it is a pretty unique birthday.
Mrs Lye thinks it's a "pretty cool" date to be born on, and quite rightly as statisticians estimate the chance of being born February 29 are about one in 1461.
Mrs Lye said their earlier children all had different births, but Gracie was the first to be overdue.
"I was not expecting Gracie to wait until the 29th, and despite the long wait between her birthdays, I think it's a better than having your birthday fall on Christmas Day, and having to share the day," she told the Leader.
Gracie is a little sister to Zoe, 7, and Patrick, 5, who attend Kootingal Public School.
As a leapling Gracie will technically only have a 'birthday' every four years, however, Mrs Lye is already thinking ahead.
"We'll celebrate Gracie's birthday on February 28, to keep her birthday in February, and we'll hold a really special celebration every four years when her real birthday comes around," she said.
Mrs Lye and Gracie expect to head home from Tamworth hospital on Saturday, March 2.
What is a leap year?
You might be wondering why we have a leap year every four years?
Scientists at NASA say it takes the Earth 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds to orbit the sun, and while we round the number down to the 365 days we recognise as a typical year, the nearly six extra hours don't disappear.
Instead, leap years are added to account for the difference, otherwise, a calendar with no leap years would, through the centuries, eventually become totally out of sync with the seasons as we know them.
Roman general and statesman, Julius Caesar, is credited with inventing the modern leap day.
