"Our hearts are with you, we are with you," a note outside the New Zealand High Commission in Canberra reads.
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"Standing together against senseless evil. Unity will always win."
Sitting on top of a white rose, and surrounded by sombre pale lilies and bright gerberas, the note epitomises what many of us are feeling.
The sentiment was obvious across Canberra on Saturday in the wake of the chilling terrorist attack on our neighbours in New Zealand, on innocent civilians practising their right to freedom of religion.
Flowers outside the Canberra Islamic Centre in Tuggeranong, the mosque in Yarralumla and the Gungahlin mosque were a show of solidarity and of support.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Bill Shorten urged Australians to stand up to hatred and intolerance as the region grappled with its worst mass-murder in modern history.
Ashamedly, the alleged attacker was a 28-year-old right-wing extremist from the New South Wales town of Grafton called Brenton Tarrant.
Just across the Tasman Sea in a country that we consider our close ally, a horrific attack was perpetrated by a man who was identified as Australian.
But Mr Shorten echoed what has run through the minds of many Australians - this was not an Australian who represents Australia.
"This is not who we are - but that is why solidarity is so important."
Australians must insist on a respectful community, now more than ever.
We can't be divided by extremists, not in our community and particularly not in federal politics - a place that is supposed to represent the views of a nation. We are a proud multicultural nation, and we need to stand in unity with each other and our neighbours.
Thankfully, it is each and every one of us that can make that happen.
It is often in times of intense pain and suffering that people from all walks of life band together.
It has been seen in New Zealand, in Australia and it has been seen across the world that this is one of those times - flags have flown at half-mast, a minute's silence recognised.
Tributes to the victims have included the Eiffel Tower going black and the Sydney Opera House lit up with a silver fern. Outside a mosque in Manchester a man held a sign that read: You are my friends. I will keep watch while you pray.
It is this sentiment of solidarity that we can’t forget in the weeks, months and years that follow this devastating event.
