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Former Liberal MP and respected doctor Katie Allen has died aged 59, her family announced on Tuesday, describing her as “beloved” and “deeply loved”.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved Katie (Mum),” the family statement posted to Instagram said.
“She spent her life caring for others as a mother, doctor, professor, MP and friend. She is deeply loved. She passed in peace surrounded by family and lived a full, beautiful life, all the way to the end. We love you so much.”
Allen revealed in May that she had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma.
At the time of her diagnosis, she expressed, “It’s a stage 4 diagnosis and has already spread. I am aware of the challenges that lie ahead, but I am approaching this with clarity and determination.”
The post did not reveal how Allen died.
Allen served as member for the now-abolished seat of Higgins from 2019 to 2022.
She challenged Labor’s Carina Garland in the seat of Chisholm, which incorporated part of her former seat, at the 2025 federal election but was unsuccessful.
Prior to her political career, Allen served as a paediatrician and held the position of director of population health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute from 2011 to 2019.
Colleagues pay tribute
Former Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin was among the first to pay tribute to Allen.
“Life isn’t fair for many. And for Katie — this was not fair. But the changes she made, the people she supported and the beliefs she lived, for many gave them the opportunity they may never have had. And with her support, life was more fair,” he posted on social media.
Liberal senator Jane Hume described Allen as “an extraordinary woman, and an inspirational friend”.
Labor senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah, who won Higgins in 2022 before she was elected to the senate when the seat was abolished, also shared her condolences.
“Hers was a life of service and you were all her triumph. My condolences to you all,” she wrote.
