Westfield Bondi Junction to remove flowers laid in tribute of stabbing victims
Thousands of floral tributes laid at Westfield Bondi Junction in memory of the six people murdered there a fortnight ago will soon be removed.
The shopping center in Bondi Junction, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, was the scene of a horrific stabbing on April 13 that left five women and a security guard dead.
Joel Cauchi, 40, went on a killing spree that claimed the lives of Ashlee Good, Dawn Singleton, Jade Young, Pikria Darchia, Yixuan Cheng and Faraz Tahir before he was confronted and shot dead by heroic police officer Inspector Amy Scott.
The tragedy prompted an outpouring of grief and support from the community in the form of flowers, cards and other tributes.
The fourth floor of Westfield Bondi Junction is home to a growing shrine of floral tributes visited by thousands of shoppers since the center reopened its doors to the public five days after the disaster.
The growing shrine erected at Westfield Bondi Junction (pictured) in memory of the victims who lost their lives will be removed on Wednesday evening.
The wreaths and other tributes will be collected and passed on to the families of the victims
A condolence book was also created in which the public could write a tribute.
Scentre Group, the company that runs the Westfield centres, announced that the flowers and tributes will be collected on Wednesday evening to create an official condolence.
Flowers and messages will be passed on to the families of the victims.
“We are grateful for the support our community has shown each other during this very difficult time to the families of the victims, the victims and the people affected by the attack,” said CEO Elliott Rusanow.
‘From the evening of May 1, tributes will be moved respectfully and messages will be collected to form part of the official register of condolence for the families of the victims.’
Mr Rusanow acknowledged that the flowers and tributes to the victims were a symbol of grief and “outpouring emotions” in the aftermath of the attack.
He thanked the community for their support as plans were made to remove the exhibit.
An earlier shrine of flowers and tributes erected at nearby Oxford St Mall, while Westfield was closed in the immediate aftermath, was removed ten days after the attack.
Wilted flowers were malted, while the cards were saved for the families of the victims.
Meanwhile, memorial services for the victims continued on Tuesday as loved ones said goodbye to Ms Darchia in Matraville.
Hundreds gathered to say goodbye to architect and mother-of-two Mrs Young at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens last week
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns were among the mourners as Westfield security guard Faraz Tahir said his farewells at the Baitul Huda Mosque in Marsden Park in Sydney’s west last Friday.
The original shrine outside Westfield (pictured) was removed last week.
The shopping center in Bondi Junction (pictured) housed the floral tribute and book of condolence, where people expressed their condolences