Six people were killed and an attacker shot dead by police, after multiple people were stabbed at the popular shopping centre.

Surging, record-high rental prices coupled with record-low vacancy rates.

It's a tale renters around the country are all too familiar with, and one that was reinforced once again by this week's Domain rental report.

But there was one notable outlier in the data.

READ MORE: Rental market to cool as household budgets hit limit

While advertised rental prices for units rose 12.9 per cent in Sydney, 14.6 per cent in Melbourne, 18 per cent in Brisbane and a whopping 22.2 per cent in Perth over the last year, in Canberra they were only up 3.6 per cent.

The difference was even starker when it came to house rentals.

All the mainland state capitals saw double-digit price rises, but they actually fell 0.7 per cent in Canberra.

So why, when rents are skyrocketing across the country, are the increases far more moderate in the nation's capital?

The ACT is the only state or territory in Australia that limits how much landlords can increase rent.

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, a hike can't be more than 110 per cent of rental inflation in the territory – so if the average rental increase in the ACT is 3 per cent, landlords are allowed to impose an increase of 3.3 per cent.

So is that why Canberra prices haven't been rising as high as other capitals?

"It's hard to know, would be my initial reaction," Associate Professor Ben Phillips, principal research fellow at ANU's Centre for Social Research and Methods, told 9news.com.au.

"My sense would be that the rent caps in the ACT probably remove the most egregious forms of record increases.

"Some landlords try really crazy rent increases. And that will still go on to some extent, but it probably gets a little bit limited.

"It has probably assisted in that regard but it probably doesn't explain much as to why the current rental market is not ballooning like some other parts of Australia."

What Phillips says is a more significant factor is something governments around the country are trying desperately to address: supply.

While vacancy rates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide are all under 1 per cent – they're sitting at 0.3 per cent in the latter two – Canberra's is 1.4 per cent.

EXPLAINED: Will Australia get anywhere near hitting its housing targets?

That's still in landlord-friendly territory, but far closer to the 2-3 per cent that Domain considers a balanced market than the other capitals.

"Unlike many other jurisdictions around the country, (the ACT) still has a pretty good supply of housing going in," Phillips says.

"We've got a lot of units. We've also got we've also got some growth in detached housing.

"So our market at the moment in Canberra is reasonably well supplied, we've got a higher vacancy rate than many other jurisdictions.

"So that probably is the main explanation. I don't think it has too much to do with the rent caps."

All of this isn't to say rent in Canberra is cheap. 

According to Domain, houses are more expensive to let there than any capital outside Sydney, while only the NSW capital and Brisbane have pricier rental units.

READ MORE: How much house prices have risen already in 2024

That could point to the ACT reaching a point where the market is unable to afford rent increases anymore – something Oxford Economics Australia said will contribute to a rental price slowdown in the next three years.

"There's probably an element of that," Phillips said.

However, he said while the situation is bad now, it's actually slightly better than what it was a decade ago.

"All rents have increased sharply in the last 18 months, but also it was very flat for about 10 years before that," he said.

"So sometimes it helps to think about these things in a longer term in terms of affordability.

"Affordability has deteriorated, but overall rental affordability is probably slightly better now than it was 10 years ago.

"That probably seems hard to believe, but if you look at the ABS CPI, that's what's happening for the whole market.

"But yes, for advertised rents at the moment, they are ballooning, there's no doubt about it."

A group of squatters has taken over a $25 million pub owned by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in the UK.

An Instagram account called the Camden Art Cafe has posted an "official statement" online explaining why they squatted the York and Albany near Regent's Park, London.

"We are occupying the York and Albany Hotel in Camden as the collective Camden Art Cafe," the statement read.

READ MORE: Police on standby for pro-Palestinian protests

"We aim to open our doors regularly to anyone and everyone, particularly the people of Camden who have been victims of gentrification and parasitic projects like HS2.

"We provide free food, drinks, and a space to display their art without the ridiculous red-tape that galleries require people to jump over. We believe all of us and our art deserve dignity."

HS2 is a high-speed rail project under construction in England.

READ MORE: Judgment day for Lehrmann over Higgins rape report

The BBC reported that the pub, which is up for sale with a price tag of £13 million ($25.01 million), is believed to be occupied by at least six people.

Under UK law, it is not a crime to occupy a person's non-residential property, and squatting is a civil matter.

Police can only intervene if crimes are committed on the premises, such as vandalism.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, celebrity and sport via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.

A hero shopper caught up in the Bondi stabbing rampage has described how he helped direct police Inspector Amy Scott to confront and shoot the shopping centre killer.

Ryan Bramble told Today this morning he and two mates were in the Zara store last Saturday afternoon when they heard screams outside.

"I just looked out the door to see what was going on, and there was just people everywhere running, running out all the exits," he said.

READ MORE: Flags fly at half mast for Bondi stabbing spree victims

https://omny.fm/shows/ben-fordham-full-show/massive-rambo-knife-bondi-hero-describes-shopping/embed

"So me and a few mates walked out, out of Zara and towards the commotion, and as we were walking towards the commotion, there was just this one guy, the killer, that was walking by himself."

Bramble said the man, later identified as Joel Cauchi, 40, was carrying a big "Rambo knife" in his hand, in a reference to the Sylvester Stallone action movie First Blood,

Soon after Scott – the first police officer on the scene – arrived and asked Bramble for a description of Cauchi and the direction he was heading.

Bramble recounted how he and other shoppers followed Scott as she pursued Cauchi through the shopping centre until the fateful confrontation, warning him to halt.

"Then we got close enough to him and he just stopped. And the cop, the whole time, she was saying, stop. stop running."

READ MORE: Sixth victim of Bondi stabbing spree named

He then froze for about 15 seconds and ignored warnings by Scott to drop the knife.

"He just turned around. Just charged straight back … at the female cop," Bramble said.

He said his "heart dropped" as Cauchi headed towards him and other people.

"And yeah, she just let the gun go on him three times straight in the chest, and just killed him straight in front of me."

Scott then performed CPR on the fallen man, but he died.

Bramble said Scott had given acted like a true "professional".

"She's a hero. Absolute hero. Like she gave him a chance. She gave him plenty of chances to drop the knife."

Bramble said Scott had displayed "awesome" judgement and marksmanship.

"There was people behind him … if she missed with that bullet, she could have shot a bystander or anything."

What we know so far

• Six people have been killed in a mass stabbing attack at Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
• The man, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott at the scene. Police do not believe he acted "with ideation".
• Twelve people were taken to hospital, though police said others may have presented independently with minor injuries.
• Five women and one man were killed in the attack, which also left a dozen injured.
• They include Faraz Tahir, 30, a refugee who started working as a security guard that day; Ashlee Good, 38, a mum whose baby was also stabbed; Dawn Singleton 25, a shop worker and daughter of businessman John Singleton, architect and mother-of-two Jade Young, 47, Chinese student Yixuan Cheng, 27, and Pikria Darchia, 55.
• Three people – a woman, man and a nine-month-old baby girl – remain in a critical condition.
• Eight others are stable and one woman has been discharged from hospital.
• Details are emerging of heroic acts by shoppers who tried to help as the rampage unfolded.
• Mobile phone footage shows crowds hiding in stairwells, with other shoppers saying they were evacuated to the roof and others cowered in shops.
• The shopping centre will remain closed on Monday as police work through the crime scene.

If you're struggling, know that help is available 24/7.

Lifeline: Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online.

Kids Helpline: Call 1800 55 1800 or chat online.

Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.

1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online.13

Yarn: Call 13 92 76.

MensLine Australia:

Call 1300 78 99 78.If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).

2GB radio host Ray Hadley has revealed the wretched moment he told Sydney entrepreneur John Singleton that his daughter Dawn was one of the victims of the Bondi massacre.

Speaking to 3AW presenters Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft this morning, Hadley said he received a desperate message from Singleton on Saturday evening.

"I got a text from Singo at about half past 6, pleading for me to ring him," Hadley said.

"I didn't know what it was about. We have been mates for 30 years."

READ MORE: Hero cop reveals moment training kicked in

https://omny.fm/shows/3aw-breakfast-with-ross-and-john/complete-utter-shock-2gbs-ray-hadley-speaks-out-af/embed

When Hadley rang his good friend back, he was beside himself with worry.

"He said, 'I think my Dawnie is one of those who lost their life and I can't confirm it.' Can you do something?'" Hadley said.

Hadley began ringing his police contacts, before managing to get on the line with NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb.

"(I) asked if she had any names and she said, 'only one' and confirmed it was Dawn," Hadley said.

"Then I had the job of ringing John back and officially confirming his darling daughter had been stabbed to death by this lunatic."

READ MORE: Sixth victim of Bondi stabbing spree named

Hadley said Dawn Singleton was a beautiful, 25-year-old girl who he had known since she was born.

Dawn, who is one of their daughters from Singleton's marriage with his sixth wife, lawyer Julie Martin, had been planning her imminent wedding.

"Dawnie had on Friday put a deposit down for a wedding dress," Hadley said.

"She was about to be married to a young police officer, who, as you can imagine, along with John and Julie, are in a dreadful state today trying to come to terms with what happened."

READ MORE: 'He had a massive Rambo knife': Hero shopper helped police officer track rampaging stabber

Hadley said Dawn's fiancé had been on duty at the time she was killed, and had been sent to the scene at Bondi Westfield Shopping Centre.

"He … was shepherded away by his fellow officers when they realised his fiance was one of the people left devastated and dead," Hadley said.

"When you think we live in a really safe place, which we do, but every now and then, there's a realisation that there are bad people out there who want to do bad things to other people."

If you're struggling, know that help is available 24/7.

Lifeline: Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online.

Kids Helpline: Call 1800 55 1800 or chat online.

Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.

1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online.

13 Yarn: Call 13 92 76.

MensLine Australia: Call 1300 78 99 78.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).

Picture the biggest, most jacked kangaroo you've ever seen. Now double it.

That's what was hopping around central Australia tens of thousands of years ago, in landscape that looked much different than the more arid Australia of today.

The monster 170-kilogram Protemnodon viator is one of three species newly named in research published today that helps solve a 150-year-old mystery and has possible implications for climate change adaptation.

TIMELINE: How the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing attack unfolded

Palaeontologist Dr Isaac Kerr said the giant marsupial was about twice the size of the largest red kangaroo living today.

It's among the biggest kangaroo species to be named but can't measure up to the enormous Procoptodon goliah, which could weigh up to 200 kilograms. 

Viator, named for the Latin word meaning "traveller" or "wayfarer", was remarkably similar to its still-living descendants in many aspects and well-adapted to its arid central Australian habitat.

But its two other newly named relatives — Protemnodon mamkurra and Protemnodon dawsonae — and other species of the giant kangaroo, could be very different. 

Kerr said the key difference was many moved on four legs.

Roos only began hopping between about 5 and 10 million years ago, as Australia became more arid and they needed to move longer distances, more efficiently.

"I think the most interesting thing for me is understanding Australia," the Flinders University researcher said.

"So you grew up around the animals that are still here, and in the Australian bush, and you sort of, you feel like you know this place and you sort of know our animals.

"But for a very long time, it was different to how it is now and that's only a very recent reality for Australia."

READ MORE: What we know about the victims of the Bondi Junction shopping centre stabbing spree

Kerr said research into the species began with renowned British British palaeontologist Sir Richard Owen.

But the naturalist was a bit too focused on the teeth and described too many different species based on small differences.

Kerr said his new research, published today in Megataxa, found the animals were more diverse in shape, range and hopping method than previously thought but also made them easier to tell apart for future research.

While the puzzle of telling apart the various species in the Protemnodon genus, which was so varied some moved on four legs and couldn't even hop, has been solved, the cause of their extinction remains a mystery.

"The first Australians arrived when the first Australians arrived Protemnodon were still alive," Kerr said. 

"And then there's this period after humans arrived where Protemnodon start to go extinct."

There was no evidence to suggest Indigenous Australians hunted them but Kerr said it was unclear if their extinction was caused by natural changes to the environment or significant landscape changes caused directly by humans.

The natural climate change was much slower than the human-induced global heating shaping our world now but could help better understand what life on earth is facing.

"You start to be able to use Protemnodon to see how Australia's environments and its animals have changed with climatic changes and different environmental changes over the millennia," Kerr said.

"And that makes them a lot more useful for, particularly with the climate crisis now, for seeing how Australia's fauna are going to react going forward with further changes."

Kerr, Professor Gavin Prideaux and other researchers studied "just about every piece of Protemnodon there is".

They photographed and 3D-scanned more than 800 specimens from 14 museums across four countries in a mammoth five-year effort to identify the species.

"The fossils of this genus are widespread and they're found regularly, but more often than not you have no way of being certain which species you're looking at," Prideaux said, in a statement.

"This study may help researchers feel more confident when working with Protemnodon."

Protemnodon mamkurra was likely a large, thick-boned kangaroo, probably fairly slow-moving and inefficient, and may have only rarely hopped.

Dawsonae was thought to be something like a swamp wallaby.

In the weeks leading up to Russia invading Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin flew out from Moscow to visit two longtime allies.

The first trip, on December 6, saw Putin touch down in New Delhi for a one-day meeting with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Two months after that, on February 4, Putin jumped on a plane to Beijing for two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Three weeks later, Russian troops and tanks rumbled across Ukraine's border.

Since the invasion, and despite a range of US-led sanctions designed to hit Moscow's state coffers hard, China and India have been major buyers of heavily discounted Russian oil.

Critics claim China and India's willingness to buy countless barrels of Russian oil has softened the blow of Western sanctions, which two years after the invasion began are widely viewed as having failed to stop the Kremlin war machine.

India's actions, in particular, have raised eyebrows, given it is a member of the Quad partnership, alongside the United States, Australia and Japan.

Turkey, too, has emerged as a key financial market for Moscow, after it dramatically stepped up its imports of fossil fuels from its near neighbour.

The Turkey Embassy told 9news.com.au it was buying Russian oil products because the sanctions – initiated by the White House – did not come from the United Nations.

Prior to the Ukrainian conflict, India bought hardly any Russian crude.

But data from the International Energy Agency, and the graphs below, show just how radically that trade relationship changed after the West stopped buying Russian oil.

READ MORE: Cyber 'axis of evil poised to strike' Australia again

China, more or less, has maintained its pre-invasion oil trade with Russia.

But India and Turkey have both snapped up cheap Russian oil and fossil fuels in big volumes, stepping into the vacuum created by sanctions.

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said 46 per cent of Russia's seaborne crude oil since sanctions were imposed had gone to India.

In the second year of the invasion, India's imports of Russian crude increased by 79 per cent.

Russia's crude oil sales to India in 2023 were worth $US37 billion ($55 billion), according to CREA data.

Dr Allan Orr, an Australian strategic defence analyst, described India as being an "ace in the hole" for Putin, who he said had been "playing chess, not checkers" in the conflict.

Putin's trips to New Delhi and Beijing, "the last two (international visits) he did before he entered Ukraine", were important, Orr claimed.

"He was assured of a market that he could sell oil to," Orr speculated.

But, he cautioned, "no one can blame India for the Ukraine war, that's got nothing to do with them" and that it made "great economic sense for India to take this oil".

"It doesn't matter what you think of Putin, it was a magnificent strategic plan," he said.

"He had all the bases covered."

Foreign Minister Penny Wong did not respond to questions if India's actions had caused tension or rifts with Canberra or inside the Quad.

India is Australia's sixth largest trading partner with two-way trade valued at $46.5 billion in 2022.

One of the world's top three crude producers, Russia is heavily reliant on oil and gas revenues, which frequently make up near half of its total federal budget.

Russia's federal revenues hit $US320 billion ($491 billion) in 2023 – a record total – and that figure is forecast to rise this year.

Some analysts estimate the Kremlin spent a third of the 2023 revenues on the war in Ukraine.

Putin, the former head of the FSB, the spy agency to evolve out of the defunct KGB, knew the West would try and hobble him with sanctions targeting fossil fuel.

But, Orr said, Putin also knew Russia had regional friends he could rely on.

"India's in the Quad, but big deal," Orr said.

"Just because (India) has signed an international agreement doesn't mean when push comes to shove they're going to stick to it, or you can rely on them."

India's High Commission in Canberra did not respond to questions from 9news.com.au, but Hardeep Singh Puri, India's minister of petroleum and natural gas, claimed the world should be "grateful" to India for buying Russian oil, in a recent interview on CNBC

Puri claimed India was, in effect, helping to keep global oil prices low.

Viewing India's oil trade any other way was simply "hogwash", he said, declaring that "no one ever tells India what to buy (or) where to buy from."

READ MORE: Sleeper cyber weapons deployed 'right now' across Australia

Vaibhav Raghunandan, an analyst with CREA, disagrees with Puri, saying that "ethically, I think it's problematic ground for India to stand on".

He claimed to 9news.com.au that India had, directly or indirectly, been a "massive" help to Moscow, "because a huge amount of the market for Russian oil immediately disappeared after the sanctions".

Raghunandan claimed CREA had observed a 66 per cent increase in India's exports of oil products over the past 12 months, often to countries which had signed up to sanctions on Russian oil, he said.

India's crude imports from Russia have dipped over the start of 2024, largely a result of stricter US sanctions which have targeted the tankers which carry Russian oil to India and other markets.

Though Russia was more or less internationally isolated, it was no surprise India had ramped up oil trade with Russia, and that China had remained steadfast, Orr said.

India is the world's biggest arms importer, and it has always bought the majority of its arms from Russia. India considers Russia a trusted ally from the Cold War era, and it has not voted against Russia in the UN or criticised Putin since the invasion began.

"Russia has played the India card, and the India card is so significant (Moscow) has won that hand," Orr said.

"The West has been trying to win this war without fighting this war."

READ MORE: The 2016 BBC interview that saw Kremlin launch a hacking war

Orr said the West should be worried the Ukraine war may be strengthening BRICS, a strategic alliance of Brazil, Russia, India and China and South Africa.

Responding to questions about its trade with Russia, Turkey's Embassy in Canberra said it had "a long-standing policy concerning unilateral sanctions by third parties" which stands on two pillars.

"First, we exclusively observe international sanctions endorsed by the UN Security Council and do not sign on to unilateral restrictive measures," it said.

"Second, an integral part of this non-abidance policy is strict monitoring and prevention of efforts to skirt sanctions through Turkey.

"These two foundational elements of our sanctions policy are inseparable."

Two people have been found dead inside a Perth home.

Police were called to a home on Golf Links Drive in Carramar in the cities north around 10.40am today, where they discovered the bodies of two people.

READ MORE: Victims of Sydney stabbing attack named

READ MORE: Bondi Junction killer had 'long history' of mental health issues, interest in weapons

Other officers and detectives arriving a short time later, shutting down the street as an investigation into the circumstances of the deaths began.

Golf Links Drive remains closed as authorities continue to piece together what happened

Anyone with information, CCTV or dash cam footage is encouraged to contact police.

A 55-year-old woman has been named as the fifth victim of the Bondi Junction stabbing attack.

Police tonight confirmed Pikria Darchia was killed in the deadly stabbing spree.

A refugee who found work as a security guard at the Westfield shopping centre was earlier named as the fourth victim.

READ MORE: 'Amazing soul': Tributes for mum slain in Sydney stabbing spree

Faraz Tahir, 30, was working yesterday afternoon when 40-year-old Joel Cauchi entered the centre and began indiscriminately stabbing shoppers.

He was reportedly on his first day of work.

Five women and one man, Tahir, were killed in the attack, which also left a dozen injured.

Cauchi was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott.

READ MORE: 'Amazing soul': Tributes for mum slain in Sydney stabbing spree

Flowers have already been laid outside the shopping centre, which remains closed while police work through the crime scene.

The identities of several of the victims have also gradually been revealed, though it may take some time as Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said this morning two of those killed had no family in Australia.

This is what we know about the victims so far.

READ MORE: Shopping centre killer had only recently moved to NSW

Pikria Darchia

Pikria Darchia, 55, has been named as the fifth victim of the attack.

No further details about her have been released and her family has requested privacy.

Faraz Tahir

Security guard Faraz Tahir was fatally stabbed while he was working at the centre.

It was Tahir's first day of working at Westfield.

According to reports, he was trying to stop the attacker.

Tahir, 30, sought refuge in Australia a year ago, after fleeing persecution in his home country of Pakistan.

"We are devastated by Faraz's passing and recognise our team member's bravery and role as a first responder," centre owners Scentre Group Chief Executive Officer, Elliott Rusanow said in a statement.

"Another member of our security team was injured and remains in hospital."

He was a known and loved member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia and also actively contributed to the charitable endeavours of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth organisation.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Faraz's family and loved ones during this difficult time, as well as with all the other victims and their families affected by this senseless act of violence," the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Australia said in a statement.

"We extend our deepest condolences and stand in solidarity with the broader community as we come together to support one another in the face of tragedy."

Ashlee Good

Ashlee Good, 38, was fatally wounded as she tried to save her baby from the attacker.

She was taken to hospital but later died.

Her nine-month-old daughter was also injured and remains in hospital after surgery.

READ MORE: Police Inspector labelled a hero after shooting dead Bondi attacker

Good's family released a statement this morning.

"Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more," they said.

"We appreciate the well-wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl."

The family said it was "struggling to come to terms" with the tragedy but thanked police and health personnel for their service.

"To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not – words cannot express our gratitude," the statement read.

Good was remembered by her friend Andrew Reid as "the most beautiful person you've ever met" who had dreamed of being a mum.

"Never said a bad word about anyone, always, you know, light the room up with a smile," he told Today.

An online fundraiser set up to support her family has raised thousands of dollars already.

Two brothers in the shopping centre described how the grievously injured Good tried to save her baby, giving her to the men and pleading for them to save her.

READ MORE: Prime Minister says shopping centre attack 'horrific act of violence'

Dawn Singleton

Dawn Singleton, the daughter of millionaire Australian businessman John Singleton, was also killed in the attack.

The 25-year-old, named for Olympic swimming great Dawn Fraser, was the second victim identified.

A University of Technology Sydney graduate, Singleton worked as an e-commerce assistant at White Fox Boutique.

In a social media post, White Fox Boutique said the women's fashion line not only lost an employee but "someone special to us who felt like a family member".

"We are all truly devastated by this loss," it said.

"Dawn was a sweet, kind hearted person who had her whole life ahead of her. She was really amazing.

"We send our love and deepest condolences to her partner, the Singleton family and her friends."

Jade Young

Jade Young, an architect and mother-of-two, was the third victim identified in yesterday's stabbing attack.

The 47-year-old Bellevue Hill woman has worked as an architect for more than two decades and is a member of the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club.

"I sadly have to report that a Bronte SLSC member, Jade Young, lost her life during the tragic events in Bondi Junction yesterday," the club said in a statement.

"Some of you might have known Jade as she and her family have been active in youth education.

"We encourage you to reach out to your friends and family and available support services as this tragedy will no doubt touch many in our community."

The club has cancelled its weekly drinks to pay respect to Young and the five other victims. 

What we know so far

• Six people have been killed in a mass stabbing attack at Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
• The man, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott at the scene. Police do not believe he acted "with ideation".
• Twelve people were taken to hospital, though police said others may have presented independently with minor injuries.
• Five women and one man were killed in the attack, which also left a dozen injured.
• They include Faraz Tahir, 30, a refugee who started working as a security guard that day; Ashlee Good, 38, a mum whose baby was also stabbed; Dawn Singleton 25, a shop worker and daughter of businessman John Singleton, architect and mother-of-two Jade Young, 47, and Pikria Darchia, 55.
• Three people – a woman, man and a nine-month-old baby girl – remain in a critical condition.
• Eight others are stable and one woman has been discharged from hospital.
• Details are emerging of heroic acts by shoppers who tried to help as the rampage unfolded.
• Mobile phone footage shows crowds hiding in stairwells, with other shoppers saying they were evacuated to the roof and others cowered in shops.
• The shopping centre will remain closed on Monday as police work through the crime scene.

If you're struggling, know that help is available 24/7.

Lifeline: Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online.

Kids Helpline: Call 1800 55 1800 or chat online.

Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.

1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online.

13 Yarn: Call 13 92 76.

MensLine Australia: Call 1300 78 99 78.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).

NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott has been praised for her "courage and bravery" and has been credited with saving lives after she confronted an armed man at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney's east.

Six people died and twelve people are being treated in multiple hospitals after the man entered the shopping centre at about 3pm on Saturday and stabbed multiple people.

Scott was nearby, performing routine checks, when the incident began to unfold.

READ MORE: Sydney stabbing rampage leaves young mum and five others dead, her baby injured

She was guided to the man's whereabouts by shoppers.

The offender had moved to level five by this stage after making his way through multiple levels of the massive shopping centre.

The police officer walked quickly behind him to catch up.

It's understood the man, in his 40s, lunged at the officer prompting her to open fire.

The attacker died at the scene and has been identified as 40-year-old Brisbane man Joel Cauchi.

Inspector Amy Scott's decisive actions are being praised by her superiors, and she's been credited with saving lives.

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said Scott "just went into gear" after she was alerted to the incident.

Catley said without Scott's presence, "we could have ended up with a lot more disaster".

Catley said the officer was thanked on behalf of the government and people of NSW.

"She was so humble.

"She said it wasn't about me, Minister. She said the people, the bystanders around really helped as well."

READ MORE: Bondi stabbing attack killer identified

"She showed enormous courage and bravery," NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said on Saturday night.

Webb said the officer is "doing well under the circumstances" and she has "everything she needs" in terms of support for the time-being.

Scott will be formally interviewed at a later date.

Webb also praised the other first responders on the scene as well as shoppers.

"The police officer who attended is enormously courageous as were other police officers that have attended the Bondi area," she said.

"I spoke to them this afternoon when they returned to the station. But also many of the shopkeepers and people within the shopping centre that showed amazing courage and bravery."

Webb said "it's not unusual for a senior officer to be out supervising and leading troops and therefore she was on her own".

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke also praised the senior officer as he addressed media on Saturday evening.

"The officer was in the near vicinity, attended on her own, was guided to the location of the offender by the people who were in the centre and she took the actions that she did saving a range of people's lives," he said.

The NSW Police Force is investigating the circumstances of the incident and the investigation will be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission said in a statement it will independently monitor the investigation.

What we know so far

• Six people have been killed in a mass stabbing attack at Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
• The man, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, was shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott at the scene. Police do not believe he acted "with ideation".
• Twelve people were taken to hospital, though police said others may have presented independently with minor injuries.
• Five women and one man were killed in the attack, which also left a dozen injured.
• They include Faraz Tahir, 30, a refugee who started working as a security guard that day; Ashlee Good, 38, a mum whose baby was also stabbed; Dawn Singleton 25, a shop worker and daughter of businessman John Singleton, and architect and mother-of-two Jade Young, 47, and Pikria Darchia, 55.
• Three people – a woman, man and a nine-month-old baby girl – remain in a critical condition.
• Eight others are stable and one woman has been discharged from hospital.
• Details are emerging of heroic acts by shoppers who tried to help as the rampage unfolded.
• Mobile phone footage shows crowds hiding in stairwells, with other shoppers saying they were evacuated to the roof and others cowered in shops.
• The shopping centre will remain closed on Monday as police work through the crime scene.

If you're struggling after today's events, know that help is available 24/7.

Lifeline: Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online.

Kids Helpline: Call 1800 55 1800 or chat online.

Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.

1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online.

13 Yarn: Call 13 92 76.

MensLine Australia: Call 1300 78 99 78.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).