Papua New Guinea’s first female interpreter in the Legislative Council, Susan Hilan Sikot Pora-Schimidt passed on today, Friday the 5th of February 2026 at the age of 82 years at her resident in Dobel Coffee plantation in Mt Hagen.
Late Hilan who hails from Manus Province was born in November 14th 1944.
She has never let her gender hinder her path, she was the only female in the original bully beef club and the first female student in Stage 2 class in 1963 at the administration college now known as the Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance.
In 1964 late Hilan worked as simultaneous interpreters from English to Tok Pisin and Motu in the HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.
Late Hilan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Papua New Guinea on 11th of February, 1983.
During her twenty-two years in the public service, she had valuable and varying experiences working with people of all levels, from executive down the rank to the junior staff, visiting and listening to the rural people involved in the development process.
Late Hilan was the head of different divisions and sections within the Departments of Information, Prime Minister, NEC Secretariat and the office of the Village Development, which she had given both direct and indirect training, guidance and management advice to junior staff.
Moreover, late Hilan coordinated policy/programs formulation implementation activities between government and non-government organizations.
This all involved communication horizontally and vertically with development administrators and recipients of development programs.
Late Hilan, mother of four was a courageous, outspoken Papua New Guinean woman that was amongst the founding fathers of the nation.
