In a warehouse in Sydney, volunteers are painstakingly preserving three tonnes of flowers left at Bondi Pavilion following Australia's worst terror attack. The dried petals and pressed blooms will become a permanent artwork honouring the 15 victims at the Sydney Jewish Museum.
The process began on Christmas Eve, with temperatures exceeding 30°C and humidity creating a hotbox. The overpowering scent of decaying flowers required volunteers to wear masks. Senior curator Shannon Biederman used fans, dehumidifiers, and construction fences to hang-dry the flowers, with loaned bricks for pressing.
Species such as zigzag wattles, bougainvilleas, gumnuts, and Singapore orchids are being catalogued and colour-coded. Artist Nina Sanadze aims to repurpose every part: petals are ironed or pressed, sunflower pollen processed into pigment, and fallen leaves collected. Up to 50 volunteers now work daily, with some driving hours to help.
By next week, all flowers will be boxed away. Sanadze's artwork will be unveiled when the museum reopens in early 2027. The final design is not yet determined, but the team hopes leftover seeds will be replanted. 'There is nothing like a garden to give us hope for the future,' Sanadze said.
