But a steady procession of dignitaries have filed into a ward of Sydney's St George Hospital to honour Ahmed Al Ahmed after his heroics in Bondi's mass shooting.
The courageous shop owner snuck up behind one of the gunmen to disarm him before he was shot in the shoulder and hand in Sunday's attack.
Anthony Albanese was among the crowd who met the 43-year-old and his family on Tuesday.
Mr Al Ahmed was "just trying to get a cup of coffee" when the carnage unfolded at Bondi on Sunday evening, the prime minister said afterwards.
"He decided to take action and his bravery is an inspiration for all Australians," he told reporters outside the hospital.
"Ahmed Al Ahmed represents the best of our country."
The visit followed NSW Premier Chris Minns dropping in on Monday evening, when Mr Al Ahmed cheekily asked whether he'd get to see the nation's leader too.
The governor-general arrived an hour after the prime minister to bring the best wishes of King Charles, with whom she spoke overnight.
"(The King) watched at close range that moment of absolute heroics that we've all been staggered by," Sam Mostyn said.
The Syrian Honorary Consul in Sydney also feted the Syrian-born hero before telling reporters all Australians need to be looking after "our humanity and our homelands".
"We have to be together to face the terrorists and any fundamentalists as well," Mayer Dabbagh said.
At least 15 people were killed and scores more were injured in Sunday's attack when father-and-son terrorists fired on a Jewish gathering at Bondi Beach.
In footage that went viral globally, Mr Al Ahmed crouched behind a vehicle in a nearby car park, before sneaking up behind a gunman and wrestling the weapon from his grip.
The hero shop owner was subsequently shot in his left shoulder and hand by the other gunman.
He is expected to undergo further surgery on Wednesday.
Mustafa Al Asaad said his cousin, an Australian citizen, told him "God granted me courage to jump on the gunman".
"He wasn't thinking of death when he saw bullets flying in the air," Mr Al Asaad told BBC Arabic.
Mr Al Ahmed had extensive injuries to his upper torso, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said.
"But look, he's doing very, very well ... Time Magazine could easily put him on the front cover (as) the Person of the Year," he told 2GB radio.
More than 34,000 people had raised more than $2 million by early on Tuesday afternoon to support Mr Al Ahmed and his family.
