Vale Cr Sarah Carter

Sarah Carter — Councillor and former Mayor of Maribyrnong City Council and an esteemed graduate of Victoria University — suddenly passed away on 6 August 2024. Along with many at Victoria University and within our local community, we are incredibly saddened by this news. 

Sarah was the first woman to be elected mayor of Maribyrnong three times. She received multiple awards for her contribution to the council since she was first elected in 2008, and she was serving her fourth consecutive term.

She was passionate about Maribyrnong and the local community and lived a life of service, with her greatest passion grounded in grassroots community engagement. Sarah brought her energy, enthusiasm, and creative thinking to all that she did.

Sarah was also a tireless international advocate. She had just returned from Vanuatu in her role with Save the Children, where she managed the Australian Regional Leadership Initiative, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Sarah was an important advocate for Victoria University. After completing her Bachelor of Communications (Public Relations) at VU, Sarah continued to be one of our biggest supporters — she never refused an invitation to engage with our students and was always willing to share her thoughts and insights with them.

She was the winner of the Rising Star Award in our inaugural Alumni Awards in 2011. It was evident, even all those years ago, that Sarah was going to make a real difference in the world. The loss of Sarah will be keenly felt for many years to come.

Sarah had an incredible impact on so many people’s lives and she will be sorely missed. 

We share our deepest condolences with her family, friends and all those who had the privilege of knowing her.