The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Lady Marigold Southey has been Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria since January 2001. She is also President of Philanthropy Australia and the St Catherine’s School Foundation. She resigned as President of The Myer Foundation in 2004.

The youngest child of Sidney and Merlyn (née Baillieu) (q.v.) Myer, Marigold – like her three older siblings – was born in San Francisco, California. The family returned to settle in Australia in 1929.

In 1950 Marigold Myer married Ross Shelmerdine (deceased 1979) and they were to have four children. On 22 July 1982 she married Sir Robert Southey, who died in 1998.

Lady Southey is a supporter and Honorary Life Member of the Australian Ballet, Life Member of the Nuffield Farming Scholars Association, and a supporter of Birds Australia. On 7 June 1999, she became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her service to the community in the support of health care, medical research and the arts.