A selfless hero who ran into a smouldering bomb site to rescue people has been remembered alongside the 88 Australians who died in the Bali bombings 12 years ago.

Families, friends and dignitaries flocked to moving commemoration ceremonies in Sydney, Perth and Kuta in Bali on Sunday.

The bombings at Paddy’s Bar and the Sari Club on October, 12, 2002, killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

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Jason Byrne was used to the spotlight being on his brother, Patrick Byrne, who escaped the bombings by minutes then ran back to pluck people from the debris.

But at Coogee’s Bali commemoration ceremony, it was Jason’s turn.

He paid a moving tribute to Patrick, the former Coogee Dolphins Football Club president who suffered from post traumatic stress disorder following the bombing.

He died suddenly this year.

Jason said his brother had walked out of the Kuta nightclub and minutes later a bomb went off.

“The action that followed is the sum of a legend and ultimately earned him a bravery award,” he said.

A woman puts a flower into the pond at the Bali Bombing Memorial Monument in Kuta, Bali. Photo: Getty

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, who was representing the Prime Minister, said the community mourned the loss of lives that hadn’t been lived for the past 12 years.

“We cannot let days like this pass us,” he told the Coogee ceremony.

“Particularly in the times in which we face today when we are so terribly reminded that the things that presented so horribly to us twelve years ago are still out there.”

Across the country in Perth, Bali Peace Park Association deputy chairman Gary Nash said people used to just turn up to watch the sunrise and go home.

But the association had worked hard to make it a more formal gathering.

Mr Nash was in Paddy’s Bar when the bombs went off and survived with shrapnel wounds and burns to 54 per cent of his body.

Mr Nash said the association was continuing its mission to acquire what used to be the Sari Club so it could be developed into a park.

“A place where people can reflect, a bit of green in Kuta and a symbol to the world that peace is possible,” Mr Nash said.

In Kuta, the Australian Consulate-General opened the memorial garden for private reflection and remembrance.

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said the senseless attack had a profound impact on the Australian community.

“Today is an opportunity to remember those who suffered and died and my thoughts are with all who continue to grieve for their loved ones,” she said in a statement.

Maria Kotronakis, who lost two sisters and two cousins in the Bali bombings, speaks at a service to mark the 12th anniversary in Sydney. Photo: AAP