She was surrounded by family and went peacefully, according to a statement released by the family, which also noted it was a “deeply distressing time”.
A generous philanthropist — especially via gifts to Garvan Foundation and St Vincent’s Foundation — and once centre of the Fairfax media empire, Lady Fairfax came a long way from where she was born in Warsaw Poland, arriving in Australia in the 1920s.
Lady Fairfax became part of the Fairfax media dynasty when she married Sir Warwick Oswald Fairfax, who passed away in 1987. They had three children together including Warwick, Anna and Charles. She also had an older son, Garth, from her first marriage to solicitor Cedric Symonds.
Lady Fairfax also held roles with the Australian Opera Foundation and Australian Ballet. Prior to her first marriage, she owned a number of dress shops in Sydney.
Lady Mary Fairfax, 95, has died. Here is a great @DavidLeser piece about a complex woman https://t.co/tuoxfnSqoE
— Kate McClymont (@Kate_McClymont) September 18, 2017
Mrs. Lady Fairfax! ping @gordonkerry https://t.co/sMOBia5Ws6
— Perpetual Oyster (@PollHereford) September 18, 2017
Lady Fairfax taught me how to curtsy. She was pretty cool & smart, tho we disagree on this: “I believe that home is where a husband is …” https://t.co/QSxaf7KjHW
— Lisa Olson (@Lisa_Olson1) September 18, 2017
#Lady Fairfax passes away – https://t.co/4kxW9XVBXM pic.twitter.com/0hdPML5Q9C
— prime news (@primenewsau) September 18, 2017