Today
Pills found as police probe deaths of Gene Hackman and wife
An investigation is underway into the deaths of the 95-year-old actor and his pianist wife who were found dead alongside their dog in their New Mexico home.
‘Believable’ Gene Hackman was Hollywood’s consummate everyman
The actor never fit the mould of a Hollywood movie star but became one by playing seemingly ordinary characters with deceptive subtlety, intensity and charm.
January
Marianne Faithfull, pop star and Jagger muse, dies
The fresh-faced, feather-voiced 1960s pop star went from girlfriend of Mick Jagger to a homeless heroin addict, only to re-emerge as an acclaimed cabaret singer.
David Lynch, visionary filmmaker, dies at 78
The one-time painter broke through in the 1970s with the surreal Eraserhead. He rarely failed to startle and inspire audiences and critics in the decades after.
December 2024
Jimmy Carter was right about America, but nobody listened
“Too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption,” he said in his famous 1979 speech.
Jimmy Carter, Nobel-prize winning US president, dies at 100
He lived longer after his term in office than any other leader of the nation. He also earned a reputation as a better former president than he was a president.
Manmohan Singh, leader who unleashed India’s economy, dies
The Oxford and Cambridge-educated former prime minister paved the way for the transformation of the South Asian nation’s economy.
November 2024
Vale Tom Hughes: Distinguished last cab off the rank
A giant of Australian law, reforming attorney-general and a powerful behind-the-scenes figure, Tom Hughes leaves behind a remarkable legacy.
Vale ‘one of a kind’ economist Geoff Carmody
Access Economics co-founder Geoff Carmody worked on economic policies for John Hewson, John Howard, Kim Beazley, Mark Latham, Tony Abbott and Steve Bracks.
October 2024
Leading financial reformer Percy Allan dies aged 78
Allan worked under some of the most prominent political figures in NSW, including Labor premiers Neville Wran and Bob Carr, and as a key reformist under Liberal premier Nick Greiner.
Ethel Kennedy, passionate supporter of the family legacy, dies at 96
The widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and a popular and vital force in the Kennedy political dynasty, died from after suffering a stroke last week.
September 2024
‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Downton Abbey’ star Maggie Smith dies
The 89-year-old actress was a shining star in a generation that included Judi Dench and Vanessa Redgrave.
What giving four eulogies in four years has taught me
If you’re called upon to praise the departed, resist the temptation to deliver an obituary. Recount your own memories, and you’ll say what many are feeling.
Corporate Australia mourns former BT boss Rob Ferguson
His Bankers Trust colleague Chris Corrigan remembered him as “an individual thinker with an inquiring mind, who never lost his curiosity about how the world works”.
Peru’s Fujimori, divisive head of a political dynasty, dies age 86
During his decade in power, he revived the economy and crushed two leftist insurgencies. But he was forced out in a corruption scandal and later imprisoned.
Man with the most recognisable voice in movies dies
James Earl Jones gave life to characters such as Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King”. He went on to earn Emmys and an honorary Oscar.
August 2024
Vale Terry Snow, legendary property developer with a generous heart
The hard-headed businessman, responsible for much of modern Canberra, was also a soft-hearted philanthropist who loved equestrian horses and the arts.
Canberra Airport developer Terry Snow dies
His biggest legacy was in property development and philanthropy, but his family also praised him as “a family man and a man who sought adventures”.
Leaders remember Rod Carnegie, the man who shaped Australia
Leaders from mining, business, politics and science gathered at St John’s Anglican Church in Toorak for the memorial service for business giant Sir Rod Carnegie.
July 2024
Martin Indyk, Australian diplomat who pursued Middle East peace, dies at 73
Raised in Sydney’s Castlecrag, the diplomat who helped steer Middle East policy under two US presidents, has died. “He’ll be remembered for his commitment to the cause of Israeli-Palestinian peace, which in the end broke his heart.”