Education was her weapon – from classroom to legislature

BORN in 1964 in Newcastle, Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi is the oldest of six daughters of the late Devjith Thakur, a respected teacher of mathematics, science and English; and Hewawathie Thakur, a devoted homemaker.

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She qualified as a pharmacist in 1986, before going on to serve the Phoenix community for 20 years while running the Eastbury Pharmacy. In this time, family tragedy saw the loss of her firstborn son as well as that of her husband a few years later — ultimately resulting in the reawakening of her passion for politics.