Australia is mourning the loss of Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO, the former Governor of New South Wales and a tireless advocate for compassion, inclusion and mental health, who has died aged 95.
Remembered as an “extraordinary Australian”, Dame Marie served as the state’s first female governor from 2001 to 2014, earning deep respect and affection for the dignity, warmth and moral clarity she brought to public life. She is survived by her three children and six grandchildren. Her husband, Sir Nicholas Shehadie – a former Lord Mayor of Sydney – died in 2018, after 61 years of marriage.
Premier Chris Minns confirmed her passing on Tuesday evening, extending his condolences to Dame Marie’s family, friends and to “all those who were inspired by her remarkable life”.
“Dame Marie Bashir served our state with distinction, bringing to the role immense dignity and compassion,” Mr Minns said. “The people of New South Wales held Dame Marie in great respect and affection, reflecting the trust and goodwill she earned over a lifetime of service.”
A state funeral will be held in her honour, with details to be announced in due course.
Born in Narrandera in the Riverina region of NSW, Marie Bashir’s life was shaped by education, service and a deep concern for others. She attended Narrandera Public School and Sydney Girls High School before completing her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Sydney in 1956.
Her professional life was devoted to medicine, psychiatry and education. Dame Marie taught at the University of Sydney and the University of NSW, working closely with children’s services and mental health programs. Long before mental health became a national conversation, she was a steadfast advocate for early intervention, social inclusion and care for the most vulnerable.
At the time of her appointment as governor, she was a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Sydney and held several senior roles within mental health services. Her work reflected a lifelong commitment to improving outcomes for young people, marginalised communities and those often left unheard.
Her contributions were recognised with numerous honours. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988 for her services to child and adolescent health, invested as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 2006, and in 2014 was named a Dame of the Order of Australia for her service to public life, medicine and the people of New South Wales.
When she stepped down as governor on October 1, 2014, Dame Marie was farewelled with a vice-regal salute and a ceremonial procession along Macquarie Street, accompanied by a 19-gun salute – a fitting tribute to a woman who had made history with grace rather than fanfare.
Reflecting on her time in office, Dame Marie once said: “During my period of service to the state as governor, there have been many inspirational occasions when one’s heart and mind have surged with pride at the stability, the vision and the harmony of multicultural inclusiveness supported by government, working in harmony with the people.”
When she became governor, Dame Marie vowed to speak up for the vulnerable and disadvantaged, a promise she lived out with quiet determination. Throughout her career, she championed adolescent mental health, suicide prevention and the wellbeing of Indigenous communities, always guided by empathy and a belief in the inherent dignity of every person.
In the passing of Dame Marie Bashir, NSW has lost not only a distinguished public servant, but a moral compass – a woman whose legacy will endure in the lives she touched and the values she so steadfastly upheld.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
