“I didn’t expect to die”: Jenny Dowell reflects on life, legacy and letting go

AFTER receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, former Lismore mayor Jenny Dowell has chosen to face the end of her life with the same dignity that defined her decades of service to the community.

The much-loved Goonellabah resident has discontinued cancer treatment and is now managing her pain with slow-release morphine tablets taken twice daily.

“Each day I’m noticing some change in my body and some deterioration, so I have entered the palliative care stage,” she said.

“I would like to die at home as long as it’s not distressing for my family. I’m about two thirds of the way through the approval process for voluntary assisted dying. I have planned my funeral and written my eulogy. I’m not a fancy person, I want something plain. I feel very calm and in control. It’s a real privilege to have the time and capacity to do these things.”

Over recent months, Dowell, 75, has been spending time with family and friends, who have rallied around her, while also putting her affairs in order. She has donated her mayoral archives and newspaper clippings to the local historical society and gifted treasured belongings – including her Parkrun milestone T-shirts – to friends and family who will appreciate them.

Her daughter Georgina has moved back to the region, and her son Tim, who is based in Brisbane, has been visiting regularly.

“They’re fully supportive of my decisions so I feel very lucky,” she said. “To have them here more regularly together is just lovely.”

She is also receiving care from local medical services, with visits from palliative care nurses that will increase as needed.

Dowell moved to the Northern Rivers from Melbourne in 1991 after her husband Ron accepted a position at Southern Cross University. She was diagnosed with breast cancer just four days after being elected mayor in 2008.

She continued to serve while undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy, remaining in the role until 2016. Last year, she learned the cancer had returned in her spine.

“Even though the cancer was there for 17 years I didn’t know,” she said. “I believe ignorance is bliss. They were my mayoral years, my years mentoring other mayors. I was deputy team leader at the Red Cross through the 2022 floods and Cyclone Alfred.”

She said the news came as a shock.

“I didn’t expect to die,” she said. “My parents lived until their early 90s. I expected to live at least another 10 years.”

Dowell has completed an Advance Care Directive – a legal document outlining her preferences, values and instructions for future healthcare should she become unable to communicate or make decisions.

She has also been progressing through the Voluntary Assisted Dying process, weighing the two available methods: three injections administered by a doctor, or a powder formula delivered in a locked box for self-administration.

“I imagine I will go in August or September,” she said. “I won’t be here by Christmas. I don’t want to linger. If the little deteriorations I’m noticing now ramp up it could be earlier. Of course, you want to avoid significant days like family birthdays or anniversaries, so I’ll work around that. If something suddenly happens and I am struggling with food and swallowing, I can hasten it.”

Community support has been immense, which is unsurprising given the breadth of Dowell’s involvement over the years. She has served on the board of NORPA and the Northern Rivers Conservatorium and on committees for the Northern Rivers Rail Trail and the Northern Rivers Suicide Prevention and Awareness Group.

Throughout her time in public office, Dowell was known for treating people of all backgrounds with respect, kindness and inclusivity. She made a point of engaging with those who had felt marginalised by previous councils, such as people who rented, Indigenous people, those experiencing homelessness and members of the LGBTIQ+ community.

A tribute event, Lismore Loves You, Jenny Dowell, will be held at Star Court Theatre on March 14. Hosted by comedian Mandy Nolan and featuring drag queens, dancers and musicians, the show sold out within three days.

“It was just astounding,” Dowell said. “It seats 350 people. The organisers are working out whether it can be livestreamed.

“It’s quite overwhelming. I’m very open about what’s happening in my life but I’m not a person who likes personal attention, so it took me a while to come around to it. They had a lot of great musos lined up for a charity of my choice, so I thought about it for a little while and agreed. I struggle in the evenings as I start to fade but I will rest during the day. I’m also going to see NORPA’s production of Prima Facie next week and I’m really looking forward to that.”

Reflecting on her legacy, Dowell said a gallery at Lismore Regional Gallery bears her name – an honour she describes as “just perfect”.

“I certainly don’t want a car park named after me,” she said. “I think my legacy will hopefully have been the change of attitude I saw in my 12 years on council, from people being ashamed to come from Lismore to being proud to come from Lismore.”