Every so often Chris Roodt climbs the hill at Mt Ainslie, looks out across the city and sits quietly, thinking and reflecting.
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Part of his thoughts would turn to how an unremarkable school excursion last year has had such a tragic and lasting impact not just on his family, but on the lives of many others.
It has been nine long months since his 17-year-old son Adriaan received serious head injuries on the mountain in an incident involving a heavy log.
He was taken to Canberra Hospital but later died of his injuries.
The year 10 Campbell High School student was on an excursion with his physical education class when the incident occurred.
The police have filed their brief of evidence but the ACT Coroner has advised it is waiting on other information. Until that it is provided, no decision will be made on whether a public hearing will be convened.
In the ACT, magistrates also preside over all coronial hearings. Despite repeated requests from the Chief Coroner, a dedicated coroner has not been appointed.
In 2017-18, the most recent data available showed the ACT Coroner's Court held a backlog of 178 cases.
The family's grief is compounded by the lack of answers and the lengthy time it has taken for the conclusion of the coronial process.
For families like the Roodts waiting to have their matter heard, the slow machinations of the process deepens concern.
As the months pass, they see importance growing for an independent assessment of what occurred in the Mt Ainslie bushland that day, whether appropriate processes had been in place by the school and what could be done in the future to prevent another tragedy.
A close friend, Lezanne Smith, said that the family was grateful for the widespread support they had received and the efforts by police, the Coroner's office and ACT Worksafe to keep them informed of the investigation.
"It has been a very difficult time for the family and I know many of Adriaan's friends are still struggling to come to terms with what happened," Ms Smith said.
"This was a young man who was loved and respected. A timely, independent assessment of whether there was a lack of sufficient supervision or negligence involved would be a fitting tribute to Adriaan's memory, and would potentially prevent something similar happening to other children."
A kurrajong tree is planted at the location where the incident occurred and a short distance away, with a view across the treetops and catching glimpses of the cupola of the nearby War Memorial, is a memorial bench seat placed by ACT Parks and Conservation.
The backrest of the bench is clad in a thin slab of yellow wood from South Africa where Adriaan was born and from where the family emigrated to Australia just over 10 years ago.
Friends of the family liaised with authorities to have the bench installed and provided the distinctive timber. A small plaque on the seatback carries a brief inscription, with two small boxing gloves in the corner to signify his love of the sport.
Adriaan had been an avid young boxer and had been training in a Yass gym in readiness for his first bout before the fateful Mt Ainslie incident.
Since the accident, the Roodt family has moved from Yass and into Canberra to allow their daughter to be closer to her school and the support of her friends.
Lives are changed forever but there's hope, too, that in urging a conclusion of the coronial investigation, attention will focus on ensuring that what happened on Mt Ainslie last year won't be repeated.
