Less than 50m away from this cache is a gigantic gum tree that must be at least 150 years old. I’m glad that it was not destroyed when this green strip was created and homes sprung up around it. Imagine the stories it could tell. I have been told that one time this whole area was paddock.
The girth of this gum tree is simply massive and it’s bough strong and sturdy. It’s the kind of tree that a particular nursery song springs to mind – “Rock-a-bye-baby on the tree top …” But in this case I don’t think the bough will break.
But what does this song mean and what is its history and origin? I have always wondered why such macabre words for a lullaby – the tune is soothing enough, but the lyrics certainly do not breed any sense of security.
In any case, several origins have been suggested for this song. Here’s what History Daily (https://historydaily.org/rock-a-bye-baby-the-origin-stories) had to say:
The Kenyon Family of Tree Dwellers
Some stories claim that the impetus of “Rock A Bye, Baby” came from the real-life Kenyon family of Derbyshire, England. Back in the 1700s, Kate and Luke Kenyon and their eight children made their home in a hollowed-out yew tree. The tree was massive and old – perhaps as old as 2,000 years. According to legend, the Kenyon's hollowed out one of the branches of the tree and made it into a cradle for their babies. Tucked safely into the tree branch, the child could be lulled to sleep by the movement of the tree in the wind. Apparently, the yew tree still exists in the woods outside Derbyshire, but it was damaged in the 1930s when vandals lit a fire inside it.
Creative Native American Moms
Another origin story for “Rock A Bye, Baby” claims that the lyrics were based on the written observations of a pilgrim boy who was new to the New World. The young child witnessed Native American moms placing their infants in sturdy cradles made from birch bark. The cradles were hung from the trees low branches so the soothing motion of the wind could gently rock the babies to sleep, freeing up the mothers to do their work.
An Allegorical Nursery Rhyme
Some historians say that “Rock A Bye, Baby” was not meant to be a nursery rhyme. Instead, it was an allegory about the political unrest of the time. In this origin story, the ditty was supposedly penned in a British pub during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The lyrics refer to the new heir to the throne, born to King James II of England, and actually, express the hope that the infant prince would die so that the reign of King James II could be overthrown.
The Davy Crockett Connection
A more recent claim states that “Rock A Bye, Baby” was written by Effie Crockett, a cousin of the legendary Davy Crockett. Effie Crockett, who later went by Effie I. Canning, claimed she wrote the lyrics to the nursery rhyme in 1872 as a way to calm the fussy infant she was babysitting. Although many people doubt her claim, a search of Effie I. Canning’s IMDB filmography shows that she was given credit for the lyrics in more than 175 television shows and movies.
The cache itself is about the size of a film canister. Its location is at the start of one of the entries to Gardiner’s Creek Trail. There’s usually not much traffic here so you should not have too much trouble looking for this cache. BYO pen. Please replace the cache carefully with its associated camouflage in place. As per geocaching etiquette, do share your adventure but leave the spoilers out of your log. If you need a cover for your presence, bring your geopet - but it needs to be on a leash.
While you could technically look for this cache at night, I don't recommend it as you might look too suspicious to the house across the road if you require a torch to do the job. Best to leave it to when it's bright enough to do so without any illumination aids.
This cache is an easy find – so you’ll have time to say hello to the ancient gum tree. Feel free to share your photo with it here – perhaps you could try wrapping your arms around its trunk, or perhaps someone might bring a tape measure one day to tell us exactly what its diameter is. But bring a very lengthy tape measure. I couldn't wrap my arms around it.