Dame Marie Bashir, first female NSW governor, dies aged 95

Dame Marie Bashir, the first female governor of NSW, died aged 95 on Tuesday, Premier Chris Minns has announced.

Bashir, who served as NSW governor from 2001 to 2014 and was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia in 1988, is survived by her three children and six grandchildren. She was married to Sir Nicholas Shehadie, a former Australian Wallabies captain and Sydney lord mayor, from 1957 until his death in 2018.

Bashir will be honoured with a state funeral, Minns shared. Further details will be announced at a later date.

The premier remembered Bashir as an “extraordinary Australian” who lived a “remarkable life”.

“Reflecting on her 14 years as governor, Dame Marie Bashir explained that she deliberately chose not to extend her tenure beyond that point, despite being widely respected, because she did not wish to surpass Sir Roden Cutler as the longest-serving governor,” Minns said.

“The people of NSW held Dame Marie in great respect and affection, reflecting the trust and goodwill she earned over a lifetime of service.”

Bashir was born in the Riverina region of NSW in 1930, and was educated at Sydney Girls High School before completing a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery at Sydney University in 1956.

She was appointed governor on the recommendation of then-NSW premier Bob Carr, and was succeeded by David Hurley. She was working as a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Sydney at the time of her appointment, while also serving as area director of Mental Health Services Central Sydney, and a senior consultant to the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern and Kempsey.

Bashir was named as a Dame of the Order of Australia in June 2014 for her service to the administration, public life, and people of NSW, particularly for her advocacy of improved mental health outcomes for the young and marginalised, international relations, and tertiary education. She finished serving as governor three months later.

Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane added to the tributes on Wednesday, saying Bashir served the state with dignity, compassion and humility.

“As the first female governor of our state, she quietly broke barriers and set a powerful example of public service,” Sloane said.

“Dame Marie was widely admired not only for her achievements, but for the grace and integrity with which she carried herself.”

The Australian Medical Association, which Bashir joined in 1962, said it was “deeply saddened” to learn about the death of its longtime member.

“Professor Bashir, 95, was an extraordinarily compassionate doctor committed to child psychiatry and Indigenous health,” the AMA wrote on social media.

“All those who encountered her were left the better for it. She will not be forgotten.”

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