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Bondi Reclaims Its Spirit with “The Bondi Feeling” Campaign

Major community recovery campaign “The Bondi Feeling”, has launched across Bondi, inviting Sydneysiders to return to the beach and rediscover the suburb’s irreplaceable energy, three months after the terror attack on 14 December 2025 that claimed 15 lives and left deep wounds across the community.

The Bondi Feeling campaign launched on 12 March, bringing together advertising, digital content, community events, local business support and a new visual identity commissioned from North Bondi illustrator Beck Feiner. Feiner’s distinctive hero graphic, capturing the salty, sun-soaked character of the Bondi community, will anchor the campaign’s creative across traditional and digital channels in the weeks ahead.

The campaign is a direct response to the economic and emotional impact felt by local businesses and residents following the December attack, which claimed 15 lives. Bondi & Districts Chamber of Commerce president Emmanuel Constantinou described the initiative as a welcome boost for a local economy that has felt the consequences of reduced foot traffic and visitor numbers in the months since. The campaign draws on the same sense of collective purpose that has characterised the community’s response throughout.

A Programme Built for the Community

The events calendar runs from now through winter, anchored by the Bondi foreshore and the suburb’s much-loved public spaces. Beachside DJ sessions run every Saturday until 30 April at various beach locations, keeping the seasonal energy alive into the cooler months. Bondi Firelight, one of the beach’s most distinctive annual events, returns on Thursday 9 April from 5.45pm at Bondi Beach South, with bonfires, marshmallows, music, fire dancers and a welcoming, alcohol-free atmosphere on the sand at dusk.

Movies at the Park screens on Saturday 28 March at Barracluff Park and again on Saturday 2 May in the Bondi Pavilion courtyard, with free popcorn, a 6pm start and How to Train Your Dragon playing under the open sky. Saturday at the Park, which features free coffee and gelato, face painting and a visiting petting zoo, takes place on Saturday 6 June during the King’s birthday long weekend in the Bondi Pavilion courtyard from 10am.

Bondi’s Enduring Character

Bondi takes its name from an Aboriginal word meaning “sound of the waves breaking on the beach.” Settlement of the area dates from 1809, with more substantial growth taking place in the 1920s and 1930s as both permanent residents and holidaymakers were drawn to the coast. More than a century on, that draw remains as strong as ever. The promenade fills on weekend mornings regardless of the season.

The surf is in the water before most of Sydney is awake. The cafes along Campbell Parade turn over tables from dawn. The Bondi Farmers Market runs every Saturday at the Bondi Public School grounds. The Pavilion hosts everything from film festivals to community meetings. It is a suburb that does not require a reason to visit, which is precisely what The Bondi Feeling campaign is reminding people.

Why This Matters to the Bondi Beach Community

For residents and businesses of Bondi Beach, the campaign is a practical and emotional lifeline after one of the hardest periods the suburb has faced in living memory. The December attack struck at the heart of a community that gathers at the beach as naturally as breathing, and the impact on local businesses, visitor numbers and community confidence has been real and sustained.

The Bondi Feeling does not paper over that reality. It acknowledges it and responds to it by doing the most Bondi thing imaginable: filling the foreshore with music, bonfires, food, kids laughing and people showing up. For locals who have stayed close and held the suburb together through the past three months, the campaign is an invitation for the rest of Sydney to come back and join them.

All events are free. Full details on The Bondi Feeling campaign and the complete events calendar are available here.

Published 18-March-2026.

Consumer Warnings Issued Over Online Retail Claims Linked To Bondi Beach Attack

Photo Credit: Pexels

Consumers have been warned after online retailers made false claims linking their businesses to the Bondi Beach attack while promoting clothing and accessories sales.

False Bondi Beach Claims Raise Consumer Concerns

Authorities issued warnings after two online retailers were found to have made misleading claims about connections to the Bondi Beach attack.

In January 2026, the fashion retailer Isla & James attracted attention after promoting a closure sale that referenced the Bondi Beach attack. The site claimed one of its co-founders had been shot in the 14 December incident and presented itself as a Bondi Beach business.

Investigations later found no verified trading address in Bondi Beach and no evidence linking the retailer to a local business.

A separate warning was issued on 19 February 2026 concerning Bondi United, an online store selling clothing and accessories through the websites bondiunited.com and bondiproject.com. Authorities determined the business had made false claims suggesting links to the attack and support for victims.

Both Bondi United websites have since been taken offline.

How The Online Stores Attracted Buyers

The online promotions relied on emotional messaging linked to the Bondi Beach attack.

One customer reported spending $250 after seeing an advertisement connected to the tragedy and believing the purchase would support people affected by the event. The customer later said the order had not been delivered and that the items appeared likely to come from an e-commerce platform.

Authorities have warned that similar online retailers can appear convincing because websites may look sophisticated and include details that suggest a local connection.

Warning Signs For Online Shoppers

Consumer guidance highlights several indicators that a website may not represent a legitimate Australian retailer.

These signs can include the absence of an Australian business address, no listed phone number, no .au domain name, or an Australian Business Number that cannot be verified.

Consumer advocates also note that these stores may present large discounts that appear genuine, making it harder for shoppers to distinguish misleading offers from legitimate sales.

Bondi Beach scams — *Photo Credit: Pexels*

Monitoring And Consumer Reporting

The websites connected to Isla & James and Bondi United have both been taken offline.

Bondi United has indicated it will provide refunds to consumers who contact the business requesting one.

Authorities have warned that traders removed from the internet may attempt to reappear under different web addresses. Consumers who are dissatisfied with their interactions with these businesses can lodge complaints with NSW Fair Trading or Service NSW, while suspicious stores linked to the Bondi Beach attack can also be reported to Scamwatch.

Published 16-Mar-2026

Prime Bondi Beachfront Site Set for $25 Million-Plus Auction

Photo Credit: Cushman & Wakefield

A prominent beachfront building in the heart of Bondi is expected to attract significant interest from developers and investors when it goes to auction next month, with an asking price exceeding $25 million.

The mixed-use property at 96 Campbell Parade sits directly across from Bondi Beach and comprises a ground-floor retail space plus six residential apartments above, occupying a 430-square-metre site.

According to Cushman & Wakefield’s listing materials, the property represents one of the few remaining freehold assets available along the beachfront stretch of Campbell Parade. The real estate agents handling the sale, Miron Solomons and Matt Pontey from Cushman & Wakefield, have scheduled a public auction for 21 April 2026.

The building’s appeal to potential buyers lies not only in its enviable location but also in its development possibilities. The property is zoned E1 Local Centre under Waverley Council regulations, with a 3:1 floor space ratio and 15-metre height limit.

The site has an interesting ownership history within Sydney’s hospitality scene. Property records indicate it was previously owned by John Hemmes — father of pub and hospitality entrepreneur Justin Hemmes — and his wife Merivale. The Hemmes family sold the property in 2012 for $7.8 million to its current owners, a private company called 7TH Wave, owned by George and Christine Penklis.

John Hemmes, who passed away in 2015, founded the Merivale hospitality business alongside his wife. Their son Justin has since expanded the enterprise into a billion-dollar portfolio spanning New South Wales, Victoria and Byron Bay.

The building previously housed a Commonwealth Bank branch in its ground-floor retail space.

With holding income from existing tenants and the potential for future redevelopment, the property offers buyers both immediate returns and long-term strategic value in one of Sydney’s most sought-after coastal locations.

Published 6-March-2026

Quinn Darragh Is Swimming Through the Night at Bondi to Shine a Light on Organ Donation

Editor’s Note: Quinn’s swim has been moved to 21 March due to the weather.

Quinn Darragh has spent years keeping Bondi’s swimmers safe but this March, the lifeguard best known for his role on Bondi Rescue is asking the ocean to carry him for a change. Swimming continuous laps between North and South Bondi through the night and into the next day, Quinn is attempting what organisers describe as a record breaking feat of continuous ocean swimming never before achieved in Australia, all to raise awareness for organ donation and transplant recovery.

Read: Hope for Hartley: Bondi Families Come Together to Raise Awareness of CDKL5

On 13 March, Darragh will enter the water at his home beach and not come out for 24 hours. No rest. No breaks. Just 24 relentless hours in the open ocean. Quinn is a familiar face at Bondi. A career lifeguard, he has spent his career as a lifeguard at Bondi Beach. But over the past year, it’s been Quinn who needed watching over.

Less than 12 months ago, he underwent a life saving liver transplant after being diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), an incurable autoimmune disease. His body initially rejected the donor organ, and what followed was a gruelling period of complications, setbacks and an extensive road to recovery.

The challenge is exactly what it sounds like: no rest, no breaks, just Quinn pinballing back and forth across Bondi Beach for 24 hours straight. Day and night. In the open ocean.

Organisers describe it as a record never before achieved in Australia, a continuous 24 hour ocean swim. For a man still well within his first year post transplant, deciding to take on such a physical challenge speaks to the resolve that carried him through recovery.

According to his fundraising page, his body initially rejected the donor organ after surgery, and he fought through complications, setbacks and an extensive road to recovery. Now, rather than slowing down, he has chosen to use his recovery as a platform for two causes close to his heart.

The Causes

The first is organ donation awareness. Through his swim, Quinn is supporting the Liver Foundation and Gift of Life Foundation, two organisations focused on organ donation awareness and transplant support, while encouraging Australians to understand the life saving power of donation. His advocacy is grounded in lived experience: without a donor, there is no swim, no recovery, no story to tell.

The second cause is Ocean Heroes, a charity that delivers free surfing events and ocean experiences to autistic and neurodiverse communities across Australia. Quinn has been a long time supporter of the organisation, and funds raised through his swim will go directly toward keeping those programs free and accessible for neurodivergent individuals and their families.

It’s a pairing that reflects who Quinn is. A husband, father of three, and devoted lifeguard, he has spent his career at Bondi giving back to the community around him. This time, he’s asking that community to give something back.

Read: Bondi Hero Ahmed Al Ahmed Receives City’s Highest Honour

At time of writing, Quinn’s fundraising page on GiveNow had already raised more than $7,000. Every dollar raised supports Ocean Heroes’ programs and organ donation awareness initiatives through the Liver Foundation and Gift of Life Foundation.

Published 6-March-2026

Bondi Tapas Bar Besa Brings Madrid Energy to Hall Street

Photo Credit: Google Maps

A new Bondi tapas bar is set to open this Sunday, arriving at a moment when the beachside suburb could use a reason to celebrate. Besa, a Spanish-inspired venue from the team behind celebrated Sydney restaurants Nour and Aalia, opens at 75–79 Hall Street on 1 March, bringing a hatted chef, weekend DJs and a menu built around serious drinking food.

The venue is the latest from ESCA Hospitality Group, whose portfolio also includes Japanese bar-restaurant Joji and charcoal chicken spot Henrietta — with one Henrietta already operating nearby in the Hall Street Hub precinct that Besa is joining. The group’s executive chef, Ibrahim Kasif, who earned chefs’ hats at Nour in Surry Hills, has developed the opening menu alongside head chef Alan Kropman, whose background includes time at the iconic Bondi restaurant Sean’s Panorama.

The 65-seat space — compact by design — takes its cues from the buzzy, high-density bars of Madrid. Architect Matt Darwon has fitted the room with deliberately torn acoustic panels on the ceiling, which co-founder and creative director Ibrahim Moubadder says resemble flowers. Warm timbers, circular booths and deep red tones give the interior a moody, cinematic quality that sits apart from Bondi’s usual sun-bleached aesthetic. Kasif himself described the space as feeling like a film set.

Besa — Spanish for “kiss” — slides into the former home of Pasticceria Papa, next door to newcomers Salumeria and chocolate bar Cocoa & Bean, and across the street from Harris Farm and the perennially busy Da Orazio. It joins Alzado, the Spanish restaurant that launched late last year at Hotel Ravesis on the corner of Hall Street and Campbell Parade, making it the second Spanish venue to set up in the suburb in recent months.

The food leans into the “good drinking food” philosophy Kasif described during the menu’s development. Standout dishes include a fideua negra — squid ink egg noodles served with grilled chicken and aioli — along with blue mackerel and Spanish pickles on butter leaf, a dish Kropman brought to the table himself. Rather than a full dessert menu, Besa will rotate a small selection of daily specials, drawing from options including Basque cheesecake, crema Catalana and churros. The cocktail list takes its inspiration from the classic Spanish novel Don Quixote.

The opening is also a show of confidence in Bondi at a difficult time. Moubadder, who has personal history with the suburb as a young immigrant and has watched it incubate food brands including Oporto and Fishbowl, said he witnessed the direct impact of the December 2024 shooting on trade at Henrietta, which opened just weeks before the incident. He expressed concern for fellow operators who have continued to feel the effects on foot traffic.

Besa is open for lunch Friday to Sunday and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Moubadder has floated the idea of a future sibling venue in a Sydney city laneway, though nothing has been confirmed.

Virgin Active Bondi Junction: Inside Elka Whalan’s Fitness Routine at the Social Wellness Club

Virgin Active

Former Olympic swimmer Elka Whalan has shared how she balances fitness and recovery at the new Virgin Active Social Wellness Club inside Westfield Bondi Junction, praising the 2500 square metre facility for its recovery technology, Pilates classes and convenience for eastern suburbs families juggling work, children and training.

Whalan, who competed at the Sydney and Athens Olympics and now lives in the eastern suburbs with her husband Thomas Whalan, a former Olympic water polo player, and their four children, says the Bondi Junction facility allows her to combine shopping with workouts while accessing recovery tools she describes as unexpected inside a shopping centre. The club features an infrared sauna, cold plunge pool, heated marble recovery slab and hydrotherapy spa, alongside specialised Reformer Pilates Towers and Lift Club strength training classes.

The two-time Olympian, formerly known as Elka Graham before her marriage, has six Olympics appearances between her and her husband and describes recovery as just as important as exercise when raising four children while staying active and fit. She says the body needs the best engine, the best fuel and the best care possible, and the Bondi Junction facility delivers recovery technology she would not expect to find in a Westfield shopping centre.

Recovery Focus and Early Morning Classes

Whalan attends 5:30am classes at the Bondi Junction club, maintaining discipline and focus despite no longer training at Olympic level. She describes the flexibility of being able to work out hard while ensuring her body, brain and muscles recover properly as essential for keeping up with children and maintaining fitness around work and family commitments.

Elka Whalan shares her Virgin Active fitness routine — *Photo Credit: Queenhood*

The Virgin Active Bondi Junction club opened on 24 July 2025 as the brand’s first Social Wellness Club globally, replacing the former David Jones Food Hall on Level 1 of Westfield Bondi Junction at 500 Oxford Street. The facility operates as an all-day luxury social wellness destination, combining fitness, recovery, nutrition and social experiences under one roof with membership including access to co-working spaces, a health food café and luxury changing rooms fitted with Grown Alchemist toiletries and Dyson hair styling tools.

Virgin Active co-working space — *Photo Credit: Virgin Active*

The launch event, hosted by television presenter Laura Csortan, featured appearances by Bondi Rescue lifeguards Hoppo and Deano, actor and model Jodi Gordon, television presenter Sally Obermeder, and a message from Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson. Virgin Active Global CEO Dean Kowarski described the space as designed to meet the realities of modern life, bringing together movement, recovery, productivity and connection to address what he characterised as a loneliness pandemic by creating spaces where people can socialise, make friends and form real communities.

Eastern Suburbs Fitness Culture Attracts High-Profile Members

Bondi Beach and Sydney’s eastern suburbs have built a reputation around health and fitness, with elite athletes and recognisable personalities living and training in the area. The lifestyle continues to shape demand for premium training spaces in Bondi Junction.

Virgin Active Bondi Junction has drawn influencers, reality television figures and professional sportspeople with its central location and range of facilities. Members track muscle mass, hydration and body fat through body composition scanning, and train on TechnoGym’s Artis range and Eleiko strength equipment. Programs include Reformer Pilates Towers and Lift Club, a structured six-week strength training block led by coaches.

Recovery Facilities and Member Access

Recovery plays a key role in the club’s offering. Members use Finnish and infrared saunas, a cold plunge pool, hydrotherapy spa and a heated marble slab designed for stretching and relaxation. Semi-private suites provide access to percussion therapy devices and compression boots.

The club also includes a business lounge for members balancing work commitments and an on-site café serving post-workout meals. It operates Monday to Thursday from 5:30am to 10pm, 5:30am to 9pm on Fridays, and 6:30am to 7pm on weekends, with public holidays generally following weekend hours. Introductory membership starts at $99 per week, with access to both the new facility and Virgin Active’s existing Bondi Junction club on Bronte Road, which opened in December 2019. More information is available here.

Published 22-February-2026.

Handmade Bracelet Campaign Raises More Than $40K in Wake of Bondi Beach Terror Attack

@bigmonya/Instagram

Valentine Meyerson, an 11-year-old Year 6 student from Bondi Beach, has raised more than $40,000 for the family of Matilda through a handmade beaded bracelet campaign that began in the days following the 14 December 2025 terror attack at Archer Park and has now reached supporters in Canada, the United States and Israel.

Matilda, aged 10, was the youngest victim of the terror attack on the Chanukah by the Sea Hanukkah celebration that killed 15 people and wounded more than 40 others. Valentine, who lives in Bondi and is close to Matilda’s age, felt compelled to act after watching news coverage of the massacre unfold in her own community. She began handmaking yellow beaded bracelets featuring bee motifs in memory of Matilda and to spread her legacy, with all proceeds going directly to Matilda’s family.

Valentine describes seeing news of the massacre as heartbreaking, particularly because Matilda was around her own age. She says she wants to show the people killed or injured in the terror attack that they are not forgotten and never will be. The attack hit close to home for the Meyerson family, who are part of Bondi’s Russian Jewish community and lost friends in the tragedy. Valentine’s grandfather’s best friends attended the event, and most were shot. He was overseas at the time, or he would have been there too.

Bees on Wrists and a Trip to Disneyland

Valentine’s mother, Lexy Meyerson, says her daughter chose to create the bee bracelets and fundraise for Matilda’s family after being emotionally affected by news reports. The bracelets are symbolic and lasting, with the bee motif a deliberate reference to Matilda’s nickname. What scared Valentine is that Chanukah by the Sea is an event the Meyerson family would normally attend every year. It’s their Jewish Russian community, which makes the tragedy even closer.

Bracelets in wake of the December 2025 terror attack — *Photo Credit: @bigmonya/Instagram*

The family has received support in the form of supplies from community members in Bondi and in the Southern Highlands where they are temporarily staying during construction at their home. Valentine’s friends and school teachers have assisted with the bracelet-making process. Supporters across Australia, from the east coast to Western Australia, have received the bracelets, and organisers have also delivered them internationally to supporters in Canada, the United States and Israel.

Valentine says that while making the bracelets is hard and repetitive, she feels motivated to continue. What gives her the power to keep going is that she is not putting aside what happened. Her goals are to send Matilda’s sister Summer to Disneyland on a holiday and to expand her fundraising and awareness campaign to stop these things from happening again.

Processing Grief Through Action

Lexy and Alan Meyerson say they are proud of Valentine’s work. They will meet the family in the coming days, and the father says the daughter’s efforts have amazed him. She thinks it will be beautiful for Valentine to meet the family.

In the days following the attack, Valentine wept tears through lighting the menorah. Her father Alan says she was watching a lot of live news in the days after the attack and had been looking for a way to process her sadness and anger. To see a girl around her age as a victim, she took it close to home. She still doesn’t understand how people can do this.

The Peace Hive project and the Matilda Bee Bracelet Project, as Valentine’s initiative has become known, represents one of many community-led responses to the 14 December terror attack. The broader recovery effort continues across Bondi Beach and the surrounding area, with embedded support services now operating through local organisations, a Medicare Mental Health Centre at Bondi Junction providing free confidential services, and a $1 million grants program funding 24 organisations to deliver community-designed mental health and resilience programs.

For anyone still seeking support following the Bondi Beach terror attack, the 24-hour support line on 1800 595 212 directs callers to appropriate services, including crisis response, psychological support and family support, and operates seven days a week including public holidays and Shabbat.

Published 20-February-2026.

Bondi Beach Recovery Hub at the Pavilion Shifts to Long-Term Embedded Community Supports

The recovery hub operating at the Bondi Pavilion has transitioned to a streamlined format, marking a new phase in the community response to the 14 December 2025 terror attack at Bondi Beach, with Lifeline and Legal Aid NSW continuing to operate on-site while broader supports embed permanently within local organisations.

The recovery hub opened in the days immediately following the attack, which killed 15 people and wounded more than 40 others at the annual “Chanukah by the Sea” Hanukkah celebration held at Archer Park, just east of the Pavilion. In the two months since, the hub has recorded more than 1,400 visits, seen more than 650 applications lodged with Victims Support Services, and helped more than 400 businesses access support. With the majority of people now registered with available services, the Pavilion continues to operate as the community’s anchor point, but the structure of support has evolved to meet what residents need next.

For the Bondi Beach community, the transition represents a shift from crisis response to sustained care. The hub now offers Lifeline for mental health support and Legal Aid NSW to assist with ongoing Victims Support applications. All other supports are moving into the fabric of local organisations, so that residents, business owners and anyone still working through the aftermath of the attack can access help through familiar, trusted channels rather than a single central location.

What the Embedded Supports Look Like

Community Resilience and Engagement Officers have been placed within eight organisations across the area, including Surf Life Saving NSW and Waverley Council, to deliver tailored long-term support and ensure community voices continue to be heard as needs change over time. Their role spans active outreach, connecting people to appropriate services, and feeding back to coordinators on what the community is experiencing week to week.

A pop-up Medicare Mental Health Centre is now operating at Bondi Junction, providing confidential mental health information and services free of charge. No appointment or referral is needed. A $1 million grants program has funded 24 organisations to deliver their own community-designed programs, including weekly mental health workshops for children and young people, a safe drop-in space for community connection, school-based programs and Jewish community gatherings focused on cultural healing.

Resilience Support Services funding will enable specialised counselling, community outreach and other essential services to continue both in person and by phone, including through local multicultural services and youth organisations.

Coordinators General Michele Goldman and Joseph La Posta are continuing their engagement with the Bondi community to ensure that those affected have access to long-term support for as long as they need it.

Finding Support

For anyone still seeking support following the Bondi Beach attack, the following services remain available. Lifeline and Legal Aid NSW continue to operate at the Bondi Pavilion. The 24-hour support line on 1800 979 676 directs callers to the service most appropriate for their needs, including crisis response, meals, financial assistance, psychological support and family support. The service operates seven days a week including public holidays and Shabbat.

Victims Support Services can be reached through the Victims Services Critical Incident Line on 1800 411 822, available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. The Medicare Mental Health Centre at Bondi Junction is open to everyone with no appointment or referral needed. For JewishCare’s dedicated Bondi Terror Attack Grant and support services, information is available here. Donations to the Unite for Bondi appeal can be made here and are tax deductible.

Published 17-February-2026.

Israeli President Lays Wreath at Memorial for Victims of Bondi Beach Attacks

Israel in Australia / Facebook

Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Bondi Beach today to lay a wreath and memorial stones for the 15 victims of the Bondi Beach attacks during a Hanukkah celebration on December 14, meeting families and survivors during his four-day Australia visit

Herzog arrived at the Bondi Pavilion under tight security and paid his respects at the rain-swept memorial site. He brought two stones from Jerusalem to place at the memorial, saying they would remain at Bondi to remind people that bonds between people of all faiths will hold strong in the face of violence and hatred.

The visit marked the first stop of Herzog’s Australian trip, coming at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. The president met privately with families who lost loved ones and survivors still recovering from injuries sustained in the attack.

Bondi Community’s Ongoing Remembrance

The Bondi Pavilion memorial site has become a focal point for the community since the December attack. In the days and weeks following the tragedy, residents and visitors laid vast quantities of flowers at the site and added thousands of candles, stuffed toys, and handwritten messages to pay their respects.

Bondi Beach attacks — *Photo Credit: Michelle Stephenson / Instagram*

Sydney Jewish Museum and local artist Nina Sanadze collected every flower from the memorial to preserve them for artwork commemorating the attack. The flowers will be transformed into permanent installations that honour the victims while bringing the community together through art.

On December 21, exactly one week after the attack, more than 10,000 people gathered at Bondi Beach for a candlelight vigil as part of the national Day of Reflection. Australians across the country lit candles at 6:42pm to mark the moment the attack began, with television and radio networks observing one minute of silence.

Community Support and Recovery

The Bondi community response extended beyond memorials, with over 50,000 people volunteering to donate blood following requests from Lifeblood. Hundreds of women and girls dressed in white joined Governor-General Sam Mostyn in laying flowers at the memorial during the week of remembrance.

Indigenous leaders conducted a traditional smoking ceremony at the Bondi Pavilion, while the Sydney Opera House shone with candlelight as part of the national day of reflection. Authorities lit the Sydney Harbour Bridge and buildings across the city in yellow to show solidarity with those affected.

Bondi Beach attacks candlelight — *Photo Credit: 22 Grams / Facebook*

Fifteen people aged 10 to 87 died in the attack during the Jewish festival celebration. Syrian-Australian shop owner Ahmed al-Ahmed has been hailed as a hero for disarming one of the attackers, an action that likely saved additional lives. A GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $2 million to support al-Ahmed’s recovery.

Herzog’s Broader Visit

Following his time at Bondi Beach, Herzog will travel to Melbourne and Canberra before returning to Israel on Thursday. Sydney and Melbourne are home to 85 percent of Australia’s Jewish population, with Bondi Beach and its surrounding eastern suburbs hosting a significant Jewish community that traces back to Holocaust survivors and other immigrants who settled in the area starting in the 1940s.

Herzog said people of all faiths will overcome the violence together, emphasising that the attack targeted not just the Jewish community but the values shared by Australians. His visit includes meetings with senior officials across the political spectrum throughout his time in Australia.

Published 9-February-2026.

Hope for Hartley: Bondi Families Come Together to Raise Awareness of CDKL5

Hope for Hartley / Instagram

Residents at The Moreton apartment complex are coming together for a morning of family fun and community activities, bringing hope for Hartley while raising awareness of a rare neurological disorder that affects just 1,500 people worldwide.

Baby Hartley Jayne Gunn, who lives at the Mirvac development on Wellington Street with her parents Jess and Steve and big brothers Reggie and Teddy, was diagnosed with CDKL5 deficiency disorder at just eight weeks old when seizures first began. Her family and neighbours are transforming the building’s landscaped courtyard into a hub of fundraising and awareness on Saturday, February 7.

The event runs from 10am to 12pm and will bring together Bondi families for food, drinks, live music, face painting and children’s entertainment. Residents registered through the TryBooking platform, though bookings have now closed for the community gathering.

A Devastating Diagnosis That Changes Everything

CDKL5 is one of the rarest and most severe genetic conditions, causing hard-to-control seizures that begin in infancy and can occur daily. Children with the disorder face severe developmental challenges, with many never learning to walk, talk or feed themselves independently. The condition also brings vision problems, scoliosis, low muscle tone, and breathing difficulties, often requiring lifelong 24-hour care.

There is currently no cure and no treatment for CDKL5.

Hartley was born on May 6, 2025, and her seizures started when she was just two months old. Since then, her family has watched their tiny daughter endure hospital stays and medical battles while showing remarkable resilience. Her parents describe her as pure light, love and courage wrapped into one tiny soul.

View this post on Instagram

The family dreams of hearing Hartley’s voice demanding the world like her brothers do, and watching her toes dance in the sand on Bondi Beach.

Community Support Spans Beyond The Moreton

The family fun day represents immediate neighbourhood support, while a broader fundraising campaign has already raised more than $85,000 toward a $100,000 goal through GoFundMe. The Hope for Hartley campaign was organised by Anna Bender from nearby Tamarama, with all funds going directly toward Hartley’s medical care, therapies and CDKL5 research.

Hartley requires extensive physical, occupational and speech therapy, along with specialised medical equipment and ongoing hospital care. The financial burden on the family is immense as they work to give Hartley the best possible chance while continuing to build their life in Australia.

Beyond the February 7 event, community members can support the family through a raffle featuring prizes from local Bondi businesses including Slowhouse, Peaches Pilates and Nimbus. The raffle remains open to those who cannot attend the morning gathering.

Building a Future Surrounded by Possibilities

The Moreton’s courtyard, set among heritage Moreton Bay fig trees between Ocean Street and Wellington Street, provides a green setting for the fundraiser. The building’s communal gardens and outdoor entertainment areas have become gathering spots for the development’s families since it opened in stages from 2017.

Jess and Steve remain committed to giving all three of their children the very best chance in life. They want Hartley to grow up surrounded by possibilities rather than limitations, believing that with enough love, support and hope, she can achieve far more than medical expectations might suggest.

The family fun day and ongoing fundraising efforts reflect the tight-knit networks that define Bondi’s residential neighbourhoods, where apartment communities rally around families facing extraordinary challenges.

You can let the organisers know you’re coming by RSVPing here, or show your support by grabbing raffle tickets here.

Published 6-February-2026.