The NSW police commissioner has joined Sydneysiders at a makeshift memorial near Martin Place honouring the two hostages who lost their lives in the Lindt cafe siege.
Andrew Scipione arrived at the scene just before 9.30am on Tuesday.
He stood and looked at the floral tributes laid by members of the public and paused for a moment of silence before leaving.
"I don't think I could be sadder," he told reporters.
"Having said that I'm incredibly proud of our police and what we've done."
Hostage-taker and self-declared Muslim sheik Man Haron Monis walked into the cafe on Monday morning and held 17 people in a 16-hour siege.
Premier Mike Baird announced flags on all NSW government buildings, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, will fly at half-mast on Tuesday to honour those who lost their lives at the cafe.
Allen Jing, 25, travelled from Pymble on Sydney's north shore to place a bouquet of flowers at Martin Place.
"I was a regular customer at the coffee shop and I feel like those people suffered instead of anyone of us," Mr Jing told AAP.
"It's hard to explain how something like this makes you feel, I guess just glad to be alive."
"Today the people of NSW and Australia have the heaviest of hearts and we are taking steps to allow the community to share our collective grief," Mr Baird said.
"Overnight we lost two of our own people, in an attack we thought we'd never see here in our city.
The grey Sydney sky matched the mood among the group gathered at the makeshift memorial.
Long faces, glassy eyes, bowed heads and people with tightly crossed arms, almost hugging themselves, consoled each other near Martin Place.
Office worker Hetal stood, head bowed, observing the memorial.
His Martin Place office was one of the many that was put into lockdown on Monday.
The 35-year-old said he didn't sleep all night, just following the coverage of the siege.
"It's just devastating. I came here to offer my prayers, give a moment's silence."
"My family and I, we have experience of this from Mumbai, the terrorist attacks there.
"You just don't expect it in Sydney, we're so far away from it all."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has since announced that flags will fly half-mast on all commonwealth government buildings.
