Thousands of flowers dedicated to the victims of the Bondi Junction stabbing attack will be removed on Tuesday, with the cards and notes to be preserved and archived.
Ten days after the Westfield massacre, authorities will remove the floral shrine remembering the six people who were killed by Joel Cauchi.
The marquee surrounding the tributes at the Oxford St Mall has been removed.
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From 6am Tuesday, the wilting flowers will be mulched, while the cards will be preserved.
Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said it was “absolutely essential” to keep the messages that has been left honouring the lives lost.
Victims’ families will be invited to read them all once they are archived.
Hundreds gathered at Bondi Beach on Sunday night as a candlelight vigil remembered those slain in the rampage.
Masselos said the April 13 attack was unfathomable.
“We are all in mourning … but let me say this — our spirit must not and will not be diminished,” Masselos said.
The vigil offered a chance to grieve for the victims, and for those left behind to begin coming to terms with the hole left in their lives where their loved ones should be, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“We keep this vigil for them — to honour all they were, to pay respect to all they meant,” he said.
The vigil followed the news that a nine-month-old baby wounded in the attack had been discharged from hospital.
Six people were killed in the tragedy: Ashlee Good, 38, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Yixuan Cheng, 27, and Faraz Tahir, 30.
Massive amount raised for slain mum’s family
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been donated to fundraisers for the victims, with a GoFundMe for Good collecting more than $680,000, most of which will go to support her nine-month-old daughter, who was also stabbed in the attack.
“Ash was a ray of sunshine and positivity in every aspect of her life and died a hero saving her little girl from the most unspeakable evil,” the fundraiser said.
A formal memorial service will be held at a later date, with plans for a permanent memorial to honour the victims.
The Bondi Junction shopping centre re-opened for trade on Friday following a day of community reflection on Thursday.
Despite the school holidays, shopkeepers have described the centre as a ghost town, with shoppers reluctant to return.
Health bar Globar’s Vinny Jovanovski said: “You can see the sorrow in people’s faces, they’re very emotional, so it’s hard to process.”
– With Robert Ovadia and AAP