The 72-year-old was sentenced to a maximum of 24 years in prison with the possibility of parole in 2037.
In October, a jury found Bowie guilty of murdering his then 31-year-old wife in the northern NSW town of Walgett on or around June 5, 1982.
Bowie has always denied his involvement in Roxlyn Bowie's disappearance, but Justice Dina Yehia was satisfied that he had killed his wife so he could pursue a sexual relationship with a younger woman.
"He is now 72 and he will not be eligible for release for some time," she told the NSW Supreme Court on Friday.
"He may die in custody."Â
As Justice Yehia handed down the sentence, Bowie sat in the courtroom, red-faced and a hand over his mouth.
Meanwhile, Bowie's daughter, Brenda Boyd, burst into tears.
Ms Boyd, who was six when her mother disappeared, spent most of her life looking for Ms Bowie after the devoted carer disappeared, leaving behind a letter.
The 'Dear John' letter, which was written by Ms Bowie, said she was leaving her husband and her kids and told them expressly not to contact her.
Justice Yehia was satisfied Bowie coerced his victim to write the letter before he killed her so he could "lay the claim that she simply abandoned him and the children" before moving closer to his mistress in Sydney.
Ms Bowie's body has never been found.
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