Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2021

Dr Mary Deirdre Mahoney AO

Dr Mary Deirdre Mahoney AO A Rich Life; a Rich Legacy

By background a medical graduate from The University of Queensland in 1963 and then a General Practitioner with a particular focus in children’s health, Mary’s interest in governance and leadership in health is unsurprising Key roles, to name but a few, included State Director for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Training Program, and member of the Medical Board of Queensland and various associated bodies, the Brisbane North Regional Health Authority and various General Practice Training Consortia across Queensland. Her many governance roles in education reflect Mary’s self-evident views about the importance of a strong and compassionate society of excellence in education, particularly for young women. Her board appointments spanned the education field from early childhood to tertiary education. Mary was a true quiet achiever, yet pleasingly her contributions were appreciated and recognised through a great many awards and honorary conferrals. This included an Honorary Doctorate from The University of Queensland in 2005, the title of Emeritus Professor of the same institution in 2014 and its Alumnus of the Year in 2016. Likewise, with the opening of the beautiful new BGGS science building in 2020, the biological sciences floor was aptly named in her honour the Mary Mahoney Department of Biology BGGS Principal, Ms Jacinda Euler, and I would often speak affectionately about Mary as ‘the quintessential Grammar Girl’. The particularly striking thing about this is that the one thing Mary did not do was attend the School as a student. Clearly there is much more to such a classification than merely attending the School In addition to her 12 active years on the Board of Trustees, her childhood family name, Hirschfeld, is well known in the School, having been attached to one of its Houses since 1979, named after her father, Konrad, who served for 13 years as Chair of the

Board of Trustees (1963 to 1975) Through the 1980s her daughters Deirdre, Rosie and Elizabeth were Grammar girls and her son Stephen was a Grammar boy. So too nephew Ryan and niece Caitlin, the children of her beloved sister, Roisin, as well as her nieces—Elizabeth and Jane—and nephews—Robert and Thomas—the children of husband Patrick’s brother, Michael. With husband Patrick always at her side, Mary was a quietly towering figure in so many walks of her rich life. Many of us will remember her fondly as always being there, being fair, but also always determined that ‘right’ should prevail. In this regard, Mary was formidable. She would listen more than talk, a rare and wonderful quality in a board member. When she spoke it was with true gravitas. In honour of Mary’s extraordinary contributions to Girls Grammar, a new annual prize has been established at BGGS in her name, with the following description: The Dr Mary Mahoney ao Prize for Leadership is awarded to a student or recent graduate who is a young woman of strength, integrity and humility and personifies the ideals of intellectual endeavour, women’s progress and authentic leadership. The inaugural recipient is a true Grammar Woman, Chloe Yap (2013). I know this would have delighted Mary, who commentedmany times over the years on this delightful and exceptional young woman, prominent in the life of the School through her sheer talent coupled with self-discipline and a quiet determination. That is about the most fitting tribute to Mary imaginable Vale Mary May her soul rest in eternal peace — Ms Elizabeth Jameson (Head Girl, 1982; Chair of the Board of Trustees 2006 to 2019) November 2021

I cannot help but feel that I had possibly the greatest privilege of all, with Mary alongside me for the 12 years that she and I, and our Finance Chair, Tony Young, served as the BGGS Board’s leadership team. We shared a strong belief in the importance of governance as a case of intentional stewardship. Not that we ever discussed it that way, but looking back, that is how I would describe our shared ideal. Mary personified this ideal. She believed that the role of governing the School required the same dedication and commitment as the roles of Principal and staff in managing and delivering the fine experience of a Girls Grammar education to our young women and their families. She exhibited this as Trustee, Deputy Chair and member of the Finance Audit and Risk Committee: always there; always fair; always prepared; always deeply reflective; always driven by the interests of the School

Many of us at BGGS thought of Dr Mary Mahoney ao as a living treasure Hearing the news of her peaceful, but unexpected passing at home on the morning of 15 September 2021, delivered gently as this news was by a dear friend of mine and relative of Mary’s, made me crumple into my chair with grief. Mary would not have approved, I know, but crumple I did Over the 12 years Mary served as Deputy Chair of the Board of Trustees at BGGS (November 2006 to January 2019), certainly she attained living treasure status. She was regarded always with great respect and affection by her fellow trustees, the Principal and many senior staff, who regularly dealt with her in the boardroom, but also by a great many others in the School community

above left The Brisbane Girls Grammar School Board of Trustees in 2017 above right Dr Mary Mahoney ao with her husband, Dr Patrick Mahoney

above Dr Mary Mahoney ao

Gazette

Gazette

Brisbane Girls Grammar School

Brisbane Girls Grammar School

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Issue 2, 2021

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Issue 2, 2021