A piece of art on Harvey Norman’s front window wall read: “This is my happy place”, and for tens of thousands of Sydneysiders that’s what Westfield Bondi Junction had always been.
But when the mall’s doors reopened Thursday morning for the first time since last weekend’s atrocity, it was to a somber gathering in an eerily quiet building.
Some came alone, others as couples or in small groups of friends and co-workers. There were hugs, handshakes and tears.
It was as much about reunions, returning to familiar surroundings and trying to resume normal life as it was about remembering the dead.
Westfield Bondi Junction reopened its doors on Thursday morning so community members could pay their respects to the six people murdered at the shopping center last weekend. A woman is photographed outside the complex at a makeshift memorial.
If Westfield management had been worried that demons would come to gawk at the scenes where six people were murdered Saturday, they needn’t have worried.
From the moment the first arrivals took the escalator from ground level on Oxford Street to the fourth floor shortly after 11am, it was obvious that those who had come here had come for the right reasons. .
Visitors were offered a black ribbon to wear as a sign of respect and many did so.
Shops remained closed, muzak was not played and the information screen that normally provides directions to points of sale was changed to show a commemorative ribbon.
At the top of the escalators on level four were six white wreaths representing each of the victims stabbed to death by itinerant schizophrenic Joel Cauchi during his senseless spree.
They were new mother Ashlee Good, 28, bride-to-be Dawn Singleton, 25, architect Jade Young, 47, security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, architect Pikria Darchia, 55, and economics student Yixuan Cheng, 27.
Those who wanted to sign a book of condolences lined up patiently. Some placed flowers beneath six wreaths at the top of an escalator to represent those who were killed.
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Commissioner Karen Webb paid tribute to the victims by laying a wreath at the memorial before the public was allowed entry.
It was impossible to say how many of those who arrived Thursday had a direct connection to those killed or the dozen seriously injured.
Snippets of conversations could be heard between small groups: “Guy just came out of Cotton On,” “I can’t imagine it,” and “it all happened so fast.”
Throughout the morning and afternoon, attention remained on the fourth-floor memorial, where people laid bouquets of flowers and stopped to say prayers.
Near the memorial, mourners waited patiently in line to sign a book of condolences next to the Tommy Hilfiger store, whose floor was stained with blood last weekend.
Management had planned this operation with meticulous care and consideration. There was free tea and coffee, as well as bottles of water, and the whole place was spotlessly clean.
It was impossible to know how many of those who came Thursday had a direct connection to those killed or the dozen seriously injured.
There was a strong but subtle police presence, as well as Westfield staff, including security guards, roaming the floors of the building.
Lifeline counselors moved through the crowd offering words of comfort to those who wanted it, along with members of the Salvation Army and Red Cross volunteers.
Those who took photographs generally pointed their cameras toward the monument. This was no occasion for selfies.
Nothing marked the locations where the dead and wounded were found or where Inspector Amy Scott put an end to Cauchi’s rampage with three fatal shots to the chest.
No one seemed to live outside any of the stores where the knife caused the worst carnage: Cotton On, Chanel, Country Road, Myer, Lululemon.
Later, a door at Lululemon was partially opened to allow those who wished to return to the store to do so: they were girls and young women.
There was a strong but subtle police presence, as well as Westfield staff, including security guards, walking throughout the building.
Most people passing by Eckersley’s Art and Craft, across the fifth-floor walkway on Oxford Street, did not stop to look at the spot where Cauchi was killed.
A sign outside Myer summed up how the center’s tenants felt.
“On this day of reflection, we acknowledge the tragic events that took place here in Bondi Junction last weekend,” it said.
‘Our thoughts remain with the victims, their loved ones and our entire community.
‘We thank our brave team members, first responders and customers who worked to save lives and keep others safe.
“We stand with our Bondi Junction community and offer our deepest condolences and solidarity.”
Nothing marked the places where the dead and wounded were found or where Inspector Amy Scott ended Cauchi’s rampage with three fatal shots to the chest.
Family members of the victim had the opportunity to walk through the complex Tuesday before Thursday’s reopening.
Elliott Rusanow, CEO of Westfield owner Scentre Group, accompanied those who took advantage of that opportunity and described it as a “very emotional experience.”
Rusanow said business would return on Friday, after the community adjusts to the center opening again.
“Having a day of reflection allows community members to come back, in a way that doesn’t have to do with retail,” he said.
“It’s about paying your respects, it’s about coming back and feeling comfortable coming back to Westfield Bondi.”