Dame Marie Bashir, former NSW governor and distinguished psychiatrist, dies age 95

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Guardian staffJanuary 20, 2026 at 12:48 PM

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short article 2 min

Dame Marie Bashir, the first female governor of New South Wales (NSW), has died at the age of 95. NSW Premier Chris Minns announced her death, highlighting her distinguished service to the state from 2001 to 2014. Bashir was also the first person of Lebanese descent to hold the position and the third woman appointed governor of an Australian state. Beyond her role as governor, she was a respected psychiatrist and advocate for mental health, education, and social inclusion. Bashir was married to Sir Nicholas Shehadie for 61 years and had three children and six grandchildren. A state funeral will be held to honor her life and contributions.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Sydney 30% Sir Roden Cutler 40% Sir Nicholas Shehadie 50% Chris Minns ×370% New South Wales ×580% Dame Marie Bashir ×695%

Keywords

marie bashir 100% nsw governor 90% new south wales 80% death 70% psychiatrist 60% public servant 50% mental health 50% state funeral 40% lebanese descent 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.30

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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marie bashir nsw governor new south wales death psychiatrist public servant mental health state funeral lebanese descent

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