‘This is our church’: A multitude of Surf lifesavers Gather to Honour Shooting Those lost.

Looking out at the waves on Bondi beach, hand in hand with nearly 1,000 fellow lifesavers, Lockie Cook let himself feel the pain of a local harrowing week in recent history.

“It feels like my defences are coming down,” he said.

Beach rescuers assembled by the score on Saturday morning to participate in two minutes of silence and commemorate those killed in Sunday’s attack.

Babies, grandparents, neighbours and schoolmates wearing their iconic colours embraced one another, forming a line stretching from the famous shoreline's north side all the way to its southern point.

“The most important aspect that’s come out of this is just the extent that this place signifies to me,” he expressed.

“This beach is our place of worship … It’s just important we come together again and really heal.”

An Interval of Silent Reflection

At that morning, the two minutes’ silence was called for by a figure at the beach’s central lifeguard post, around which had been laid rows of floral memorials.

“A short time can be a very long time but take this time for introspection,” he urged.

“Link arms with the person next to you, look inward and remember the families affected so we can emerge more resilient for this community.”

Lifesavers looked down or to the distance as locals, beachgoers and dignitaries observed. The sole audible things were the lapping of the sea, a distant canine cry and a whirring rescue helicopter, which flew along the beachfront as the silence lifted.

Healing on the Sand

Friends and families slowly came together in an embrace and applaud their colleagues at the opposite end of the beach as applause came from the assembled community.

This was another example of the volunteers working to bring together the beachgoers this difficult period, said one individual, a Jewish member of the beach's north side and a first responder on Sunday.

“Right now, I sense the compassion and solidarity,” said the participant, who asked not to be named.

Having lived at Bondi for most of his years, he joined the community swim on the following day and has focused on healing on the beach as his own.

“It was like asserting a presence, it’s cathartic,” he shared.

The Guiding Spirit of Lifesaving

Gene Ross, a veteran trainer, spent the moments’ silence beside his newly certified son, reflecting on the togetherness his club had shown after Sunday.

“Carrying out the tragedy here … prompted Australia to stand with the community.”

A great number of volunteers experienced a mix of emotions together as they walked back to their surf clubs and through the green space where their fellow members saved lives on Sunday.

Dozens more stayed on the water's edge, on duty to help people returning to the water.

“We serve the entire community and that’s the core principle of beach rescue,” Ross affirmed.

“This is our purpose as rescuers: we move toward the emergency.”