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Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO

Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO was elected by Senate as Chancellor of the University of Sydney for a four year term commencing on 1 June 2007.

As Chancellor, Professor Bashir is Chair of Senate, the Advisory Committee for Honorary Awards, the Chair Appointments Committee and the Senate/Student Associations Liaison Committee.

Profile

MB BS HonMD Syd, FRANZC, Governor of NSW
Chancellor, 2007 -
Fellow of Senate, 2007 -
Chair, Advisory Committee for Honorary Awards, 2007 -
Chair, Chair Appointments Committee, 2007 -
Chair, Senate/Student Associations Liaison Committee, 2007 -

Professor Bashir is Governor of NSW, the first woman to be so appointed, and took up office on 1 March 2001.

Born, of Lebanese descent, in Narrandera in the Riverina district of NSW, and educated at Narrandera Public School and Sydney Girls High School, Marie Bashir gained her bachelor degrees in medicine and surgery in 1956 from the University of Sydney.

Dr Bashir taught at the Universities of Sydney and NSW, increasingly working with children's services, psychiatry and mental health services, and indigenous health programs. At the time of her appointment as Governor of NSW, she was Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney (a post she took up in 1993); Area Director of Mental Health Services Central Sydney (from 1994); and Senior Consultant to the Aboriginal Medical Service, Redfern (from 1996) and to the Aboriginal Medical Service, Kempsey.

Professor Bashir's widespread involvements and interests have included juvenile justice, research on adolescent depression, health issues in developing countries, education for health professionals and telemedicine and new technologies for health service delivery. Along with many professional medical association roles, she was, at the time of her appointment as Governor, a member of societies as diverse as Amnesty International, the National Trust, the NSW Camellia Research Society and the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Centre, as well as being a patron of the Sydney Symphony and Opera Australia. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988 for her services to child and adolescent health and subsequently made a Companion of the Order in 2001. She was later invested by Her Majesty The Queen, with the insignia of a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 2006.

The honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine was conferred upon Her Excellency Professor Bashir by the University of Sydney on 11 October 2002, at the ceremony to mark the sesquicentenary of the inauguration of the University of Sydney and of the commencement of Higher Education ceremony.

Professor Bashir received an inaugural Women's College Alumni Award on 26 May 2007.

Professor Bashir is married to Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC OBE and together they have three children and six grandchildren.

Information source

See also the biography in the Faculty of Medicine, Online Museum and Archive.

Election as Chancellor

Patron of University of Sydney organisations

As Governor of NSW, Professor Bashir is Patron of a number of University of Sydney organisations including the following:

As Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Professor Bashir is Patron of a number of University organisations including the following:

Speeches as Chancellor

  • Speech given at the Fisher Library Centenary Celebration on 20 September 2009
  • Speech given at the University Foundations Reception on 27 July 2009
  • Speech given at the official opening of the Law School, 30 April 2009 ... more
  • Eulogy given at the Memorial Service to celebrate the life of Lady Black (Joyce), 30 March 2009 ... Program and Obituary for Lady Black
  • Speech given at the Welcome Afternoon Tea for Vice-Chancellor Dr Michael Spence in The Great Hall and Quadrangle, 24 July 2008
  • Speech given at the Welcome and Inaugural Address by incoming Vice-Chancellor Dr Michael Spence, 22 July 2008
  • Vote of thanks to Professor Gavin Brown AO FAA CorrFRSE, Vice-Chancellor and Principal given at the Farewell Ceremony and Address in the Great Hall, 20 June 2008 ... more
  • Farewell to retiring Registrar Dr William Adams, at his final graduation ceremony held at 11.30am on 13 June 2008
  • Eulogy (pdf) given at the Memorial Ceremony for the Hon Kim Santow AO, 23 April 2008
  • Short eulogy given at the Memorial Service for David Burnett, 2 March 2008
  • Speech given at the Sorry ceremony at the University of Sydney O’Week, 27 February 2008
  • Speech given at the launch of the book "Museum: The Macleays, their Collections and the Search for Order" at the Macleay Museum, 7 November 2007
  • Speech given at the welcome ceremony for the Chancellor, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, 2 July 2007 ... more

About the position of Chancellor

Information about the position of Chancellor, including the role of Chancellor and the previous Chancellors, is available here.

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