The Story of a Cradle - Rhonda Locker Photographer, Geelong

If this cradle could talk oh the stories it could tell!

You see the beautiful Mumma in the photo?  It was bought by her Great Gran for her arrival many years ago.  She was the first of many to sleep in it, followed by her siblings, most of her cousins. Then her own babes and her nephews.

I wonder many of those custodians of the cradle, sat and rocked it to and fro, patted their crying baby, talking to them comforting them, begging them to sleep.

This cradle was the first bed for our children. We lived in WA at the time and somehow fitted it on the back seat of our Commodore and drove it across the Nullarbor from Sale. 

I can still remember many a sleepless night sitting and rocking the cradle, I would sing to our first born anything that popped into my head at the time.  My gosh I am surprised that it actually put them to sleep, probably more to do with the motion of the cradle than my singing! Somewhere along the way we lost the pin that stopped it from swaying, we improvised with a broken plastic chop stick.  When I took Addie’s photos I noticed a metal pin back in it, it made we wonder all those years ago why we didn’t just go and buy something like that at the hardware store! We were young parents probably a little niave with things like that.  Anyway the chopstick worked a treat!

So beautiful little Adeline Violet (Addie) came home and it is her little sleep sanctuary.  I am not sure what number baby she is to sleep in this cradle, I don’t think she will be the last.  This cradle has become somewhat of a family heirloom.  Creating memories for many members of our family.

Lucy only had one request for her photos and it was for some photos of Addie in the cradle.  A small part of a story, although mainly it is Lucy’s story as the cradle was bought for her, it is a story that is a big part of our family, the start of each new life that has come into our family.  Something so special to be shared