‘This is our church’: A multitude of Volunteer rescuers Come together to Remember Tragedy Victims.

Gazing quietly upon the waves on Bondi beach, side by side with nearly 1,000 other volunteers, Lockie Cook opened up to the anguish of a area's harrowing week in living memory.

“I sense that protective wall is falling,” he stated.

Beach rescuers assembled by the score on that morning to observe two moments of quiet reflection and commemorate those who died in the previous weekend's violence.

From the very young to the elderly, alongside friends and neighbours clad in distinctive lifesaving gear stood together, forming a chain running from the famous shoreline's north end all the way to its south end.

“The big thing we've learned from this is just the depth to which this community matters to me,” he expressed.

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

A Time of Quiet Contemplation

At the appointed hour, the two minutes’ silence was announced by a figure at the beach’s central lifeguard post, around which had been laid clusters of flowers.

“120 seconds can be a a lengthy period but please look within,” he urged.

“Link arms with the individual next to you, close your eyes and remember the families affected so we can emerge more resilient for this beach family.”

Volunteers looked down or to the ocean as locals, beachgoers and dignitaries watched on. All that could be heard were waves on the shore, a lone dog’s bark and a whirring rescue helicopter, which circled along the coastline as the silence lifted.

Reclaiming the Beach

People gathered slowly turned to embrace and clap for their companions at the far end of the beach as acclamation came from the watching crowd.

This was another example of the volunteers working to unite the area this week, noted one man, a local of the beach's north side and a first responder on the day of the attack.

“Right now, I sense the compassion and solidarity,” commented the man, who requested privacy.

Having called Bondi nearly all his life, he took part in the memorial paddle on the following day and has worked to reclaim the beach as his own.

“It felt like reclaiming a space, it’s healing,” he said.

The Guiding Spirit of Service

Gene Ross, a longtime instructor, spent the quiet time standing by his just-trained son, reflecting on the solidarity his club had shown in the days following Sunday.

“Choosing to do the violence here … led Australia to stand with the community.”

Scores of volunteers experienced a mix of emotions together as they made their way toward their patrol bases and through the area where their fellow members helped the injured on Sunday.

A significant number lingered at the shore, on duty to help people returning to the water.

“We’re here for everybody and that’s the guiding spirit of surf livesaving,” Ross said.

“It is our calling as volunteers: we run to the danger.”