This one is for you Nathan

A POPULAR member of the community, a loving son, and a man dedicated to serving his country are all ways to describe Nathan Bewes

FITTING HONOUR: Crowd gathers around the new memorial in Murwillumbah honouring Nathan Bewes. Picture: Contributed

A POPULAR member of the community, a loving son, and a man dedicated to serving his country are all ways to describe Nathan Bewes.

The Murwillumbah native was honoured at a ceremony yesterday with a park named in his memory, almost 10 years after his death.

Nathan was killed while serving in the Australian military in Afghanistan in 2010, and has been commemorated with the naming of a popular spot he used frequently as a child.

The council-owned park attached to Mount St Patrick College in Murwillumbah was officially named Nathan Bewes Park by the council yesterday.

Nathan's family, friends and former military comrades were at the service, where a new memorial on the corner of Queensland and Mooball streets was unveiled.

Nathan's father, Gary Bewes, said the day was very special for the family.

"It is really good mate, it is something which has been 18 months in the making,” Mr Bewes said.

"The thing we like about it, is that Nathan went to Mount St Patrick for the whole 12 years and was in the cadets across the road and played soccer for the Murwillumbah club so it is in an area he gravitated around his childhood.”

Those who knew Nathan came from as far as Adelaide for the ceremony to honour their friend.

Along with his wife Kay, Mr Bewes said his son would have loved what had been created at the Murwillumbah Park.

"When the plants finally grow it will look really good,” Mr Bewes said.

"It is somewhere in the town people can come and have a look. (Nathan) would be more than impressed I would say.

"It is ironic because at that site when he was in grade two or three, Kay would walk down to that corner and wait for him with the dog to come home from school.”

Mr Bewes said his family were very thankful to the Tweed Council for organising and paying for the memorial, as well as the RSL branch and cadet branch for their involvement in the process.