Willaston Cemetery Baby Memorial
Today June the 16th 2007 Jayne & I had the honour of attending the Willaston Cemetery Baby Memorial unveiling.
It is a special memorial in the Willaston Cemetery to honour and acknowledge the 190 babies that have been buried there from 1877 – 1986 without ceremony or markers. A very special place of reflection. Mrs Del Cooper who’s son ~Leonard~ was buried here in 1946, lobbied hard for many years to ensure all these babies were acknowledged. The Gawler Council funded the project, a working committee and funding for the plaque by Taylor & Forgie funeral home ensured the memorial’s completion.
The memorial is a peaceful old ruin renovated, which represents a small room in keeping with the era of the past, the cemetery holds a charm of years gone by with the new baby memorial reflecting that. The surrounding grounds are planted with natives. There is a climbing rose sculpted across one of the walls of the ruin, which represents the buds of a sweet rose bloom. With a pretty rose planted beside it to show growth. Inside is a contemplating bench for parents to sit and have time with their memories.
It is a beautiful place and one of honour and acknowledgment of all the precious babies that have been buried there.
For me it was very moving to watch Mrs Del Cooper, who is an older lady now. I watched her cut the ribbon to unveil the memorial and just thought I knew that as a Mum who has lost babys myself, we will never forget ! It was very heartwarming to be there today and Mrs Cooper was inspiring and an amazing lady.
There are still so many babies there without markers as over time it must have made it hard to trace who’s babies were placed there. But today all those babies were acknowledged and I’m sure many of us there today sat by and took very special moments to think of all them and their families.
Trudi xx
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| The Plaque at the Entrance | The Memorial |
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| The Sculpted Climbing Rose | Mrs Del Cooper |
