A message on the eve of the sad anniversary of the tragic Bondi Junction attack
*This E-Mail Newsletter received by the Editor on 12 april, 2025 and shared in the public interest
Dear Sydneysider!
I’m writing to you on the eve of a very sad anniversary for our community.
Everyone remembers where they were on the 13th April, 2024.
“It was a beautiful Saturday – a beach day, a family day. Some people were at home, others were at the movies or doing their shopping. In Bondi Junction, life was unfolding as it does every weekend, until something unimaginable shattered it.”
“Six lives were taken in a senseless act of violence. Ashlee Good. Dawn Singleton. Faraz Tahir. Jade Young. Pikria Darchia. Yixuan Cheng.”
Their stories were different, but they had one thing in common: they were loved deeply, and they should still be with us.
This was a tragedy that changed the lives of the families and friends who lost the people they loved, as well as those who were injured in the attack. But I know it was also one that traumatised our whole community.
What gave me strength in the aftermath of the attack, and what continues to give me hope today, is that there was one person that day who was trying to do enormous harm – but there were hundreds of people who were doing all they could to keep our community safe.
I want to again pay tribute to everybody who supported our community on that day.
| I know many in our community are still healing from the pain and shock of that day. Earlier this week, I met with several of the families who lost loved ones in the tragedy, and their pain is still incredibly raw.
As you may already be aware, there will be opportunities to come together, pay tribute, and access support in the coming days.
Lifeline representatives will be on-site at Westfield Bondi Junction this weekend, and welfare support officers will be available in Oxford Street Mall to support anyone who needs it. My thoughts are with the families of the victims, the first responders, the retail workers, and every member of the public affected. If you need support, please reach out: NSW Health Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511 Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 Lifeline: 13 11 14 Best, Allegra |
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