The family of Scout John Burns, a boy who died while trying to cross a river near Rissington in 1979, was part of a ceremony to officially open a new bridge across the Mangaone River.
The new structure, which accesses the Weka Point Scout Camp near Rissington, was opened onOctober 2 and replaces a swing bridge which was built following the death of the young scout.
John was among a group of scouts camped at Weka Point who had been forced to move after heavy overnight rain caused the river to rise. During the crossing he was carried away by the current.
A memorial bridge was built in John's name in the early 1980s, but recently it had been deemed unsafe after nearly three decades of use.
The Hastings Host Lions Club took on the job of building the new bridge, donating $25,000 towards the project. The Lloyd Morgan Lions Club Charitable Foundation also contributed $10,000.
Spokesperson Robin Nairn said John's family were among the 150 people who gathered for the opening and to have the chance to be the first ones to walk across the new bridge. "We also had one of the young fellows who was with him [John] at the time come over from Darwin for the occasion, so that made it significant.
"This is our 50th year and we wanted to make this our anniversary project and hope it will be a bridge to literally take youngsters further into their adventures into the world."
This year is also the 100th anniversary of Weka Point Scout Camp.
