Slain South Korean Eunji Ban was a kind, loving young woman who lived a brief, incomplete life.
Hundreds of people stood in the hot sun at a memorial service for her in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Some held flowers, all were sombre.
The 22-year-old had saved for a year to fulfil her dream of living in Australia, but it came to an end six weeks after she arrived.
Ms Ban was on her way to work in the early hours of Sunday morning when she was attacked and killed in an inner-city park.
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A passer-by found her bloodied and battered body next to a flight of stairs at the park hours later.
A 19-year-old man has been charged with her murder.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graeme Quirk told mourners Ms Ban's death "reminded how precious life is and how fragile it can be".
"Eunji, as she came down this street, was just in that moment in time in the wrong place," he said.
The mayor said every student who came from overseas was regarded as a daughter or son of Brisbane.
"Today we all share in the sorrow brought about by this horrific crime," Mr Quirk said.
After approaching the microphone, Korean community leader Richard Lee turned to the flowers laid out on the spot Ms Ban's body was found and quietly wept.
Mr Quirk went to comfort him, whispering, "I'll stand with you mate."
Mr Lee thanked the Brisbane community for sharing in the Ban family's grief.
"I hope that we take this opportunity to improve responsibility to make this great city of Brisbane a better and safer place to live in," he said.
Mourners were shocked and sorrowful.
Viva College teacher Sue Berwick said Ms Ban's death had really hit home with her international students.
"They all wanted to come, so we brought them here, this was the best thing we could all do," she told AAP.
Korean Presbyterian pastor Matthew Kim told the crowd Ms Ban had studied microbiology and wanted to be a researcher.
"What a brief and incomplete life was hers," Mr Kim said.
Hundreds put money into a white box to help pay for Ms Ban's funeral and provide financial support to her devastated family.
Premier Campbell Newman earlier met with Ms Ban's father and uncle to offer condolences.
"Their daughter had come here and we, as a community, were meant to be providing a safe place for them," he told reporters.
