Sydney Siege: Who Were The 'Hero' Victims?

The two victims of the Sydney cafe siege have been hailed as heroes for trying to protect others and tackle the gunman - but who were Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson?

Katrina Dawson was a high-achiever from a privileged background and always seemed on course for great things, said those who knew her.

As a teenager, the barrister topped the state in her exams at a Sydney private school, achieving a "perfect" score in her Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams.

The Ascham School said she was a "stellar" pupil, the debating club captain and a keen sportswoman.

It posted a 1995 newspaper cutting on its website showing her smiling alongside her classmates as they celebrated acing their exams.

Her father, Sandy Dawson, is president of the Royal Sydney Golf Club and former boss of Arnott's, one of Australia's biggest food companies.

Success ran in her family - and she more than matched her high-flying siblings.

Ms Dawson's brother, also named Sandy, is a renowned defamation lawyer, while another brother, Angus, works for top management consultancy McKinsey.

But she was also a wife - married to another lawyer, Paul Smith - and has three young children, Chloe, Sasha and Oliver.

Belinda Berryman, an old school friend, told Australian media that despite her success Ms Dawson always had time for people.

"She really stood out as a very warm, happy, friendly person - she was someone you thought would always do well in the world," she told 702 ABC Sydney.

"We always say people are amazing but Katrina, she was a really, really sweet girl."

Ms Dawson was reportedly grabbing a coffee with colleagues when she was caught up in the siege - the Lindt cafe is only a few hundred metres from her office.

The lawyer is said to have been shot while trying to shield a pregnant friend.

"These heroes were willing to lay down their lives so others might live," Archbishop Anthony Fisher told a prayer service held in Sydney.

The other hero was the manager of the Lindt cafe, Tori Johnson.

He is said to have died while trying to end the siege and wrestle the gun from hostage-taker Man Haron Monis.

"We are so proud of our beautiful boy Tori," said his parents in a statement.

"Gone from this earth but forever in our memories as the most amazing life partner, son and brother we could have wished for."

Former friends and colleagues described him as "selfless" and a man who always stood up for his staff and gave them credit.

Peter Manettas, who worked with Mr Johnson for six years at a Sydney seafood restaurant, told ABC: "(He) always gave the credit back to the staff. He always put his staff first.

"He was very humble in his achievements, but very ambitious in what he wanted to achieve."

The 34-year-old was focused on a career in the hotel and restaurant business from an early age and travelled the world to get experience.

His LinkedIn profile shows he started as a teenage porter at a boutique Sydney hotel but soon spread his wings.

Mr Johnson did a stint in a Massachusetts restaurant in 2001 and gained a Hospitality degree from Washington State University the following year.

He then jetted off to the exclusive Kanuhura resort in the Maldives to work as a food and beverage superviser, before heading back to Sydney in 2004.

"By nature he was a perfectionist and he had a genuine passion for the hospitality industry and people," said Lindt's Australian boss in a Facebook post.

"He was a really important part of our management team in Australia and his loss is absolutely tragic."

One woman, Mercedez Hinchcliff, described how Mr Johnson had once hand-made her six-year-old son his first ever Easter egg after hearing he had a rare condition that meant many foods were out of bounds.

"It's definitely something that stuck out in his mind as being one of his best days," she told the Sydney Morning Herald.