Children's trauma centre to open after Bondi massacre

A new treatment centre for children recovering from traumatic incidents, including the Bondi Beach massacre, is set to open within six months. The NSW Institute for Pediatric Trauma will bring together specialists, researchers, and clinicians to conduct research and deliver training on how to best assist children who experience trauma.

The institute, housed at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick, aims to educate the public on treating pediatric trauma differently than adult trauma. Health Minister Ryan Park highlighted the impact of two mass killings in NSW - the Bondi Beach massacre in 2015, which killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, and a stabbing at Bondi Junction in 2024 that killed six people, including a mother protecting her baby.

Dr Guy Henry, co-director of trauma services at Sydney Children's Hospital, will head the institute and noted that while NSW's approach to pediatric trauma is good, it is not always well understood. The institute will receive $500,000 from the NSW government and donations from the Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation.