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The longest serving governor in NSW history, Her Excellency Dame Marie Bashir, will step down from her office today with an open-top car procession through the streets of Sydney’s CBD this afternoon.
The much-loved governor, the first state governor of Lebanese descent, retires after nearly 14 years in the job.
Born in Narrandera, a small town in the NSW Riverina region, Marie was the daughter of Lebanese migrants Michael and Victoria Bashir. Her father was a graduate from the American University of Beirut, while her mother’s family migrated to Australia in the 19th century.
Though born in rural NSW, Marie moved to Sydney – living with her maternal grandmother – to attend Sydney Girls High School before studying medicine at Sydney University during the early 1950s. There she met and married Nicholas Shehadie, who later became Lord Mayor of Sydney, with whom she had three children. Interestingly, when the Queen knighted her husband in 1976 Marie became Lady Shehadie but declined to use her title preferring her maiden name instead.
After practising as a GP in western Sydney, she specialised in psychiatry eventually becoming Professor of Psychiatry at Sydney University and the Clinical Director of Mental Health Services for the Central Sydney Area Health Service, a position she held until she became governor on March 1, 2001.
Dame Marie outlasted six NSW Premiers during her time in office, including Labor’s Bob Carr and Liberal Barry O’Farrell, before handing over to former chief of Australia’s defence force General David Hurley later today.
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NSW Governor Marie Bashir inspects a tri-service honour guard at the opening of the second session of the 55th NSW Parliament in Sydney on September 9, 2014. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
NSW Governor Marie Bashir attends a service of dedication to Admiral Arthur Philip at Westminster Abbey in July in London.
Marie Bashir showed off Sydney to Prince William and Catherine during the Royal Tour in April.
Marie Bashir walks through the gardens of Government House alongside Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark in 2013.
Marie Bashir at the 2012 Deadly Awards at the Sydney Opera House.
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