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First Bondi Junction funeral, as surfers honour victims

Paddleboarders formed a heart to remember the six lives lost in the Bondi Junction stabbing attack.

Paddleboarders formed a heart to remember the six lives lost in the Bondi Junction stabbing attack. Photo: AAP

Family and friends of Sydney architect Jade Young have come together in a sea of colour at the first funeral for a Bondi Junction victim on Tuesday.

Young, 47, was remembered as a “dearly loved and irreplaceable wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and beloved friend to many”.

Her life was celebrated at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in its architecturally stunning green space, The Calyx, which features the southern hemisphere’s largest garden walls.

Mourners were asked to wear colourful clothing in her memory.

In a statement released by NSW Police, the family said the catastrophic attack at Bondi Junction had “shattered our world”.

“While we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from friends and the community, Jade’s death has left a gaping hole in our lives,” the family said.

“Her children were her life, and we do not want their future to be shaped by her death.

“Today’s memorial at The Calyx is a celebration of Jade’s life and we know many in our community loved her.”

Young’s family at the weekend thanked those who donated more than $210,000 to a fundraiser dedicated to helping her husband and two daughters deal with their grief.

“Ensuring the financial security of the girls as they face a future without their mother is the family’s priority and they’ve been overwhelmed by people’s generosity,” Adam McLaughlin said.

Jade Young

Jade Young was farewelled at a service in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Photo: AAP

Victims honoured at sea

Earlier on Tuesday, about 100 paddleboarders and surfboard riders poured into the surf to honour all six victims.

It’s a setting best known for its throng of tourists, busy beaches and families out for the weekend.

But as the sun rose on Tuesday morning, a more sombre scene took shape as the paddleboarders formed a heart in the ocean to remember the six lives lost.

Organiser Vicky Austin said 12 local clubs came together to say goodbye at the ocean, a focal point for the community.

“Everyone’s feeling the after effects of Bondi Junction and it was just a way for us as a community to come together in solidarity in the ocean we all love,” she told ABC TV.

“We play, we compete, and we come here for solace and I think it’s our way to say goodbye to those that we have lost.

“It’s solidarity and mateship and what we’re all about.”

Six people died and four remain in hospital after 40-year-old Joel Cauchi went on a stabbing spree at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney’s east on April 13.

Faraz Tahir, a 30-year-old security guard killed during his first shift at Westfield Bondi Junction, will be laid to rest on Friday at a mosque in Marsden Park in Sydney’s north-west.

The services for Australia’s worst mass killing in years follow a candlelight vigil at Bondi Beach at dusk on Sunday attended by hundreds of mourners.

-with AAP

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