First Sydney baby of the year born on new year’s day

Haymarket couple Siska Apriyanti Sim and her partner Budian welcomed their second child, Shawn, into the world at 12.32am on January 1, and in doing so he became the Harbour City’s first new year baby. See all the pictures.

His speedy arrival scrapped his family’s plans to enjoy Sydney’s midnight fireworks but

the Harbour City’s first baby of 2025 has given his parents an extra special reason to celebrate the new year.

Coming into the world at a healthy three kilograms, Shawn Cedric Biansi was born at 12.32am on January 1st at the Royal Hospital for Women in Randwick.

Shawn’s arrival was an unexpected new year’s surprise for heavily pregnant Siska Apriyanti Sim, 34 and partner Budianto, 42, who weren’t expecting their second child to be born for at least another week.

Siska Apriyanti Sim holds baby Shawn Cedric Biansi in her bed this morning with dad Budianto. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“My sister and my mum told me, ‘maybe tonight you’ll get the baby’,” Ms Sims said.

“I said no, because I’d already been to the doctor in the morning and he said (to expect the baby) around January 8 or 9.”

But just as the Haymarket family were preparing to head out and enjoy the fireworks at Darling Harbour about 11pm on Tuesday, Ms Sim began having contractions.

The barely one-day-old is the first baby to be born in NSW this year, at 12.32am on January 1. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

It is Ms Sim’s second child, and her labour only lasted half an hour. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Suddenly (my) tummy was painful every five minutes. At 11:30pm, every one minute,” she added.

The expectant mum’s contractions were so strong she felt Shawn was “already coming out” but Budianto suggested to wait as Ms Sim had laboured for 10 hours to birth their now five year-old son Owen.

But “just when the fireworks started ringing”, the couple left home in a taxi headed for the Royal Hospital for Women, and Shawn was born just half an hour later.

“(I’m) happy, this was very fast... I just laid down and the baby came out,” she said.

When asked how they would celebrate their newborn son’s birthday in years to come, the couple said they would see the New Year’s Eve fireworks as a special moment for their family in Shawn’s honour.

“It’s a beautiful moment,” Budianto said.

Ms Sim said the fireworks would be for Shawn in the years to come when celebrating his birthday. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Little Shawn wasn’t expected until January 8 or 9, with his early arrival a wonderful surprise to start the new year. Picture: Sam Ruttyn