The Bendigo bub made his entrance into the world about 1pm on Thursday and will forever share his birthday with Australia Day.

Arlie’s parents Penny Jones and Adrian Mensforth said it was special to have an Australia Day baby.

“He’s always going to have a day off on Australia Day with the public holiday,” Mr Mensforth said.

“He’s pretty lucky.”

Mr Mensforth was working in Queensland when he found out Arlie was on the way.

“It was a mad rush to get back in time,” he said.

“The plane landed at 1pm in Melbourne so he’d already been born.”

Ms Jones and Arlie were resting at Bendigo Health yesterday.

“We initially thought we might have an Australia Day baby, but it was unlikely he was going to come,” Ms Jones said.

“He wasn’t due until February 3.

“There have already been a few Australia Day jokes. They initially thought he was quite big, so everyone was joking that he’d been eating lamb chops for Australia Day.”

Arlie was Bendigo Health’s only Australia Day birth.

No Australia Day babies were delivered at St John of God Hospital.