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“Well, Marie Bashir was just a unique human being incredibly compassionate. She was able to project her warmth and compassion and wisdom out into the world. She certainly was able to focus it on people that she was with, but she was able to project it out into into the wider world and that was a gift and she was a tremendous role model.”
This is professor Patrick McGorry, former Australian of the year, and CEO of Orygen Youth Mental Health, speaking about New South Wales' first female governor Dame Marie ((mah-ree)) Bashir, who has died aged 95.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced Dame Marie's passing in a statement over night, which in part reads:
“Dame Marie was an extraordinary Australian and one of New South Wales’ most respected public servants. On behalf of the people of New South Wales, I extend my deepest condolences to Dame Marie’s family, friends and all those who were inspired by her remarkable life. Dame Marie Bashir served our state with distinction as the first female Governor of NSW from 2001 to 2014, bringing to the role immense dignity and compassion.”
Dame Marie was married to former lord mayor of Sydney, Sir Nicholas Shehadie for 61 years, and had three children and six grandchildren.
Prior to her appointment as governor in 2001, she had became known for her pioneering work and passionate advocacy across areas such as suicide prevention, youth mental health and Indigenous health.
She was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia in 1988 for her services to child and adolescent health.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined others in paying tribute to her life and legacy, writing on social media:
“Her lifetime of service to the medical profession, her community and her fellow Australians was defined by her powerful sense of duty and her abiding passion for helping others. As the first woman to serve as Governor of New South Wales she was both a pioneer and an inspiration. In all she did, Dame Marie blended dignity with warmth and intellect with empathy. “
Dame Marie was born in the Riverina town of Narrandera to a Lebanese father and a mother of Lebanese descent.
She graduated from the University of Sydney in 1956 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, and worked in hospitals and as a general practitioner, before completing post-graduate studies in Psychiatry.
In 2010 in an interview for NITV's Living Black program, she reflected on her time working as nurses aide during the holidays at Prince Alfred Hospital.
“So I got the feel of patients in bed, very ill. My job was to clean pans and to feed those who'd had strokes and nothing to do with being a medical student or a future doctor. It was a wonderful experience because close up I was able to see suffering when people were alone.”
Professor McGorry, who later knew Dame Marie personally as a fellow psychiatrist, says a commitment to equality was an undercurrent through all her work.
“She was someone who just treated every human being and so every human being is as equal and a vehicle value and obviously she worked with multicultural youth. She worked with indigenous use marginalise use and she was an incredibly inclusive. You know almost like a spiritual person I would say.”
Among other roles, Dame Marie worked as a senior consultant at the Aboriginal Medical Service in both Redfern and Kempsey.
In a partnership with the Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service, she established the Aboriginal Mental Health Unit, which provides regular clinics and counselling at both the Aboriginal Medical Service in Sydney and mainstream centres.
She was a vocal advocate for Indigenous rights more broadly, too.
Here's Dame Marie speaking to NITV in 2013 about the significance of the National Apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“As on that wonderful day when the prime minister annunciated those unforgettable words on behalf of the nation of sorry, the whole nation rose, I believe, in stature. And I think when Aboriginal people are formerly recognized in the Constitution, that will be another landmark occasion.”
Dame Marie is also being honoured today for her support for the LGBTQI+ community, which included her and her husband being named chiefs at the 2015 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras for their work to combat homophobia.
She retired as Governor in 2014, after holding the office for over 13 years, making her the second-longest serving Governor of New South Wales
Professor McGorry says she leaves behind a powerful legacy built on unity and compassion.
“Unfortunately we're getting with seeing more more division along these sorts of fault lines in our society emerging right now and so someone like Marie was the antidote. She was the absolute opposite of what we're seeing at the moment with within society, trends that are emerging so she was a unifier, she was an integrator and she was a spiritual leader really.”
A state funeral will be held for Dame Marie at a later date.
