In a show of resilience and solidarity, matched only by sorrow, a constant stream of people filed into Martin Place to pay tribute to the victims of the deadly siege that locked down a city and gripped a nation.
"Sleep well brave ones. Our hearts go out to you today," read one of the thousands of messages that accompanied bouquets of flowers, the first of which were laid at a makeshift shrine as dawn broke, within sight of the Lindt cafe.
Hours earlier, three people were killed in the cafe as an act of terror ended in a volley of bullets.
Cafe manager Tori Johnson is believed to have been killed after he tried to wrestle a gun from self-described Muslim cleric Man Haron Monis, who more than 16 hours earlier had taken control of the store.
Also killed was 38-year-old mother of three and barrister Katrina Dawson.
But under the pall of numbness, said Sydneysider and federal MP Malcolm Turnbull, is a sense of determination.
"I was on a train this morning," Mr Turnbull said. "You could feel the numbness in the carriage. Shock, horror."
"Imagining how these people suffered during that terrible night. Thinking about the courage of the two young people that were killed. I feel that everyone was also filled with love. There was something of determination on that train.
"As the train rattled across the Harbour Bridge, I felt there was a quiet determination that we were not going to be intimidated. Not by such hatred."
Alone, and in groups, they came to pay tribute.
Strangers, united in grief, turned to each other and embraced. Some, in tears, simply stayed a while, staring despondently at the mass of flowers and cards.
As early morning skies of grey gave way to sunshine, an ever-growing multitude of technicolour was left behind, prompting police to widen the area cordoned off for tributes.
A smaller group stood behind police tape, looking in the other direction towards the Lindt cafe, where police continued to examine the scene.
In one of the condolence books, left on a table near the shrine, a woman who signed her name only as Rosie had written: "Rest in peace - we mourn the loss of innocents."
Another message, left by Nettie Roberston, said: "Sydney will always be beautiful, no matter what."
By the end of the day, the books were filled by thousands of names.
"They're trying to express what we all feel," a solemn and visibly shaken NSW Premier Mike Baird said.
"What we need to do is to come together like never before."
Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove said he wanted to offer his condolences not only to the bereaved, but to all Australians shocked by the events in Martin Place.
"All Australia is with you," he said.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott also visited the site where he and his wife Margie placed two large bouquets and signed a condolence book.
Office worker Hetal, whose family was caught up in the attacks on Mumbai in 2008, stood with head bowed.
"It's just devastating," the 35-year-old said.
"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."
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