The Muhunoa East traffic bridge was built in 1892. The bridge was originally called by the settlers “The Bridge of Sighs” probably on account of the great sorrow caused by the death of a little boy named John Martin, aged 2 years, son of Mr. & Mrs. R.B. Martin who lived on the rise just east of the bridge where the home of Mr. K. Kirkaldie now stands. The bridge at the time was incomplete and it was necessary for the settlers on the western side to walk across on planks to attend the funeral.
The little boy was laid to rest on the north east side of the bridge on a little promontory on a small island formed by the little creek
which runs into the river just north of the bridge. A few small trees have now grown up on the little grave, the picket fence has fallen down.
The bridge was later known as “Martins Bridge”.
[In 1971 the photograph (right) was taken as the bridge was being redecked.]
Previously the settlers forded the river about 200 yards below the bridge. Access to the river was through a cutting just beside and south of the present road and in front of Mr. K. Kirkaldie’s house.
Ohau traffic bridge which was an experimental structure costing some £400 and known as the “Low Level Bridge”, called thus as it was only about 3 ft. above the water of the river, was built in 1897, and constituted the centre portion and has sides about 3 ft. high. These sides were swept away with the first big flood and the water course shifted to the south bank thus necessitating a second span to be built; a further flood moved the channel over to the north bank when a final span was erected. The latter portion constituted two white pine logs as stringers with planks fastened across them. The writer remembers crossing this bridge which now had no sides, with horse and trap when accompanying his parents on a trip to Otaki, sometime in 1898.
Several incidents occurred on the bridge before it was replaced by a higher and more permanent structure. One gentleman Mr. James ---- (known to the writer) who was a visitor to the district was cycling down to Manakau one dark night and deviated either to the right hand or to the left and toppled over, which resulted in a ducking. A boy named Frank ---- he also was cycling over the bridge but because of the cold had his hands in his pockets; he also went over the side and received a cold ducking. A third party named James ---- a personal friend of the writer, had been to collect a pony which his father had bought for him for £5, was returning to Manakau, and the pony somehow lost its footing and went overboard, this time above the bridge, and the current carried it under the bridge and poor James thought his pony and the £5 was gone, but to his relief the pony turned up on the other side. Fortunately in these episodes no lives were lost.
This bridge was replaced at the cost of £1,750 and opened on the 16th August, 1903. The Industrial School Kimberley Road and the present Levin Post Office were opened on the same day. “The Industrial School” was later moved to Bruce Road, and the title altered to “The Boys Training Centre”, and later “Kohitere”.
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