Social GainMy Baby Photo

My Baby Photo

Town Telly

Awe on the African Savannah

Town Telly

Awe on the African Savannah

My Baby Photo Tells Two Stories

Michael Davis shares his winning baby photo at a Dubbo Slide Night

Q: Can you describe this photo?
This is a seven-month-old baby, born in December 1970, smiling because he just won a baby contest. He’s clutching a teddy bear—his prize. I still have that teddy somewhere.

Q: Why did you choose this photo?
It’s both happy and sad. That day, I won “Most Photogenic Baby,” which was a big deal back then. But my mum wasn’t there—she was in hospital in Sydney with breast cancer. She passed away two months later.

She was overjoyed to hear the news though, and that makes me happy.

After she died, her best friend took me in and raised me as her own until I was three. She was the one who was there when I had that photo taken and became the lady I called “Mum.” We were close until she passed away too.

Q: How does it make you feel now?
Happy, because it’s proof my real mum had joy in her final days. Sad, because I didn’t know her. And grateful - for the people who stepped up and shaped my life.

Dubbo Slide Night is more than an event—it’s a night of connection through stories.

Here's how it goes: 4–5 locals from all walks of life share a personal photo and answer three simple questions, sparking laughter, reflection, and conversation.

We intentionally bring together a mix of voices from across the community—because when we share stories, we strengthen the ties that hold us together.

No two nights are ever the same, but every one leaves you feeling more connected: to people, to place, and to the power of storytelling. That’s the Social Gain way—building social cohesion, one story at a time.