For Sarah Robinson, 21, the murder of Eurydice Dixon in Carlton’s Princes Park last week hit close to home.

Ms Robinson, who grew up in Ballarat, lives and studies in Parkville and regularly runs laps around Princes Park. The rape and murder of Ms Dixon has left her shaken.

“It felt like the incident happened in my space, and it’s also the kind of incident that can happen everywhere and to all kinds of people, in particular women, so I felt it important to show solidarity and no tolerance for this kind of behaviour.”

She attended the vigil with her mother Janet and hundreds of other Ballarat women, men and children to honour Ms Dixon and other victims of violence.

“We are all Eurydice Dixon. It could have been any of our loved ones, or a stranger like she was to us, but she really is close to our hearts,” Mrs Robinson said.

Ballarat was so moved by Ms Dixon’s death that two separate events were organised to remember her, and the events were combined in to a candlelight walk along Sturt St from the bandstand at the corner of Lydiard St to the Queen Alexandra Bandstand near Dawson St.

Organiser Kelly-Louise Warner said the interest and support for the Ballarat vigil was overwhelming and incredible.

“This is something that affects everybody. It’s really hit close to home. She was so young, doing what we all have done and going about her life the way she should be able to,” Ms Warner said.

Ballarat councillor Belinda Coates said the community coming together gave people a sense of power and connectedness.

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“No woman feels safe all of the time. The fact that some men are violent keeps all women in fear of violence and that’s the straight reality of it,” she said.

“Every time there’s a high profile incident of violence against women it’s very triggering and traumatising and it’s important to work on prevention strategies and the gender inequality underlying violence against women.”

Ballarat mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh, who attended a vigil at Parliament House in Canberra, said the recently completed Right to the Night project had gathered information about locations around the city where people feel unsafe and would inform future development.

“We know that Ballarat is a fairly safe place but we also know there are areas that could be better. For our planners, developers and people that are looking at new projects we have some significant information and evidence that shows what changes or additions could be made to make our place safer,” she said.

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“We want everyone to feel safe. We want everyone, male, female, young, old, to be able to enjoy their surroundings and feel safe.”