‘This is our church’: Hundreds of Surf lifesavers Assemble to Pay tribute to Tragedy Those lost.

Gazing quietly at the waves on Bondi shoreline, side by side with close to a thousand other volunteers, Lockie Cook let himself feel the grief of a area's deeply distressing week in living memory.

“I feel like that guard’s just dropping,” he said.

Volunteer lifeguards gathered in their hundreds on the weekend to hold two moments of quiet reflection and honour those killed in the previous weekend's violence.

Infants, elders, locals and classmates wearing their iconic colours held each other, creating a human chain extending from the crescent-shaped beach’s north end toward its south end.

“The most important aspect we've learned from this is just how much this place signifies to me,” he said.

“Here is our spiritual ground … It is crucial we come together again and truly recover.”

A Moment of Quiet Contemplation

At 8.15am, the period of silence was announced by a voice at the beach’s main patrol tower, around which lie rows of flowers.

“120 seconds can be a a lengthy period but take this time for introspection,” he advised.

“Link arms with the individual next to you, look inward and reflect on the loved ones grieving so we can grow back stronger for this beach family.”

Attendees stared at their feet or to the distance as residents, visitors and officials observed. The sole audible things were the ocean's rhythm, a distant canine cry and a whirring rescue helicopter, which circled along the coastline as the quiet ended.

Healing on the Sand

Loved ones and colleagues slowly turned to embrace and clap for their fellow lifesavers at the other side of the beach as cheers erupted from the observing onlookers.

This was just the latest instance of the volunteers working to strengthen the area this week, said one individual, a member of the Jewish community of the north club and a first responder on Sunday.

“At this moment, I am filled with the compassion and solidarity,” commented the individual, who requested privacy.

Having lived at Bondi nearly all his life, he joined the community swim on the following day and has sought to take back the beach as his own.

“The experience was asserting a presence, it’s cathartic,” he added.

The Core Principle of Lifesaving

Gene Ross, a experienced instructor, spent the moments’ silence standing by his newly certified son, considering the solidarity his club had demonstrated in the days following Sunday.

“Carrying out the attack here … prompted Australia to come and support the individuals affected.”

A great number of volunteers laughed and cried together as they returned to their surf clubs and through the green space where their colleagues helped the injured on Sunday.

Many others remained on the shore, ready to come to the aid of people returning to the water.

“We’re here for everybody and that’s the ethos of lifesaving,” Ross affirmed.

“That’s what we do as volunteers: we move toward the crisis.”