I disagree with the premier. Demolishing the Bondi footbridge would be a mistake

1 month ago 15

Opinion

January 19, 2026 — 7.00pm

There are many reasons to resist a NSW premier keen to demolish the concrete arch bridge at Bondi.

On December 14, two gunmen shot and killed 15 people attending a Jewish community event nearby. They used the bridge as a platform for their deadly mission.

Chris Minns said his personal view was that the structure should be removed. “I would just hate it to be a ghoulish reminder or even exploited by reprehensible people in the future,” he said.

I disagree. There are many reasons it should be retained as a key part of Bondi’s history.

Waverley Council has opened a public discussion to determine what should be done with the footbridge at Bondi Beach.

Firstly, it’s the physical. The bridge’s heritage value is more than its 100-year age, more than its art deco aesthetic, more than being a safe crossing of a car park. The bridge is an essential, albeit small, part of the genius loci – spirit of place – of the Bondi esplanade: the wide sweeping curved space between the beach and buildings on Campbell Parade.

It is of a piece with so many curves, created or inspired by the beach, the boardwalk, the wide arches of the pavilion, the paths, the plantings, even the post-modernist North Bondi Surf Club, all reinforced by the architectural style of the apartments facing. This is what we see and how we understand the physical place as we walk through Bondi esplanade.

Then there’s the emotional. We have such strong feelings for this beachside paradise: A connection born of consistency and constancy. When Sydneysiders think of Bondi, we don’t distinguish between its natural beauty and the built environment around it. It’s always been that way in our memory: action and vistas when appropriate, shade and quiet when needed. We have a bond with Bondi. Demolition would take a small, but key, part of that away.

As well as the utter tragedy of those murdered, the atrocity was a cataclysm for the Jewish and wider community. It transformed everyone’s sentiment for Bondi. Even uttering its name now engenders different thoughts and feelings. It tears at every emotional connection, which I presume is part of the terrorists’ motivation: to not only attack Jews, but to disrupt the wider world. Physical removal of a part of what makes Bondi the place it is only plays into the hands of those monsters, forcing us to transform our world in memory of them.

The premier’s misguided logic may extend to demolishing everything connected with the atrocity: the tree that protected Ahmed al-Ahmed, the ground where bullets lodged, the road and verge where the car – carrying bombs, flags and guns – was parked. That’s an overreaction, but once started, where do you stop?

Demolition has not occurred at other sites of recent atrocities. The Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch, where an Australian murdered 44 worshippers in 2019, remains in place, determined to flourish. The Bataclan Theatre in Paris, where 90 people were murdered by terrorists in 2015, reopened a year later and continues to operate as a live music venue.

We should not be fearful of the continued existence of this small bridge. Far and away most people would to be respectful. Bad behaviour on it would not only be sanctioned by law, but the Bondi community would also immediately call it out, creating a potential source for learning about antisemitism.

The age of the structure is being cited as reason for demolition. However, if it received the attention and care given in the brilliant resuscitation of the Bondi Pavilion by Waverley Council and architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, we would get an enhanced structure: maybe one that helps erase the memories of December 14. It is noteworthy that every image of the recent mourning has the stunning giant curved opening of the restored Pavilion in the background.

Lastly, a retained bridge would not be an appropriate site for any memorial in my view. Never commemorate the killers. I was pleased to see that Bondi residents, community groups and Jewish leaders have urged Waverley Council not to demolish the footbridge. A grove of 15 trees planted in the park, accompanied by a curated memorial marking where our Jewish friends were murdered – meeting Bondi’s place, style and feel – would be an oh-so-fitting way to remember the victims.

Tone Wheeler is president of the Australian Architecture Association and the design director of environa studio, which specialises in social and sustainable architecture.

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