On this day in 1989, Rosemary Keane, Canberra's second quadruplet mother, was taking babies with her for a ride around the city. When she was only nine weeks pregnant, it was discovered she was expecting quadruplets.
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Born 11 weeks premature on September 6 at the Royal Hospital for Women in Paddington, the Keane babies - Siobhan Elizabeth, Benjamin William, Christopher Peter, and Aislin Mary - faced an early start to life.
After spending three weeks in the Royal Canberra Hospital, they were gradually brought home one by one over the following weeks.
The Keane quadruplets, none of whom looked alike, became Canberra's second set of quads. Life for Mrs Keane, her husband Peter, and their eight-year-old daughter Prudence, had suddenly become incredibly busy and their lives had changed.
They were so busy that a nappy service made frequent visits to collect the 12 nappies each baby used daily and replaced their old station wagon with a new Nissan Nomad van, equipped with four baby capsules courtesy of the ACT Infant Restraint Loan Service. They also had to relocate before Christmas due to their cramped living conditions.
With the assistance of a daily planner and their helper Natalie, the babies began to settle into a routine.
"The fact that they were all healthy and thriving was a huge relief," Mrs Keane shared the day before.
"Even on the toughest days, a glance at them made everything seem perfect."
