Bondi marks restrained Christmas after shooting

Christmas celebrations were muted at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach yesterday in the aftermath of a terror attack that killed 15 people there more than a week ago, as the community continued to grapple with the country's deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades.

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Police patrolled the beachfront at Bondi, a traditional Christmas destination, as hundreds of people - many wearing Santa hats - gathered on the sand.

"I think it's tragic, and I think everybody respects and is very sad for what happened," British tourist Mark Conroy said. "People are here on the beach because it's like a celebration, but everybody has it in their memories and is respectful of what happened.

"Everyone is feeling for the family and friends who are going through the worst possible thing you could imagine," he added.