Matilda Pilacapio

Matilda Pilacapio recalls that it was at school that she first heard about independence. She recalls that at school she had pictorial education magazines from which she learnt about Africa. She states that her father was very political and listended regularly to radio and read newspapers and the Papuan Villager magazine.

Matilda Pilacapio states that she learnt about independence while working for Burns Philp. She recalls the Milne Bay politician Alice Wedega who was in the national government. She recalls that she hoped that the white people would not leave at independence, and that there would not be bloodshed as in Africa.

Matilda Pilacapio discusses how she was treated by the whites in PNG, saying she mixed well. She recalls joining the Girl Guides Movement and then took her uniform back and joined the Boy Scouts instead and became a cub master. She states that Samarai was a small island and everyone played soccer or cricket and mixed together.

Matilda Pilacapio states that she drew a bigger wage at  Burns Philp than her husband who was a medical midwife. She reflects on the flexibility of gender roles in Milne Bay, and the importance of the matrilineal society in men respecting women.

Matilda Pilacapio recalls that during the 1968 election she voted for John Guise. She describes his leadership style as humble, eating brown rice and bully beef during his campaigning and travelling on the copra boats. She recalls that he would wear a t-shirt and brown khaki half-tone shorts and campaign on the beach. She states that in the house of assembly he would challenge anybody and recalls him taking on Bishop David Hand. She recalled that that Bishop Hand also wore khaki clothes, trying to look more like a patrol officer than a bishop.

Matilda Pilacapio states that she was disappointed the country did not have 10 years transition from self government to independence, training public servants and others. She describes the fear of bloodshed prior to independence and her father noticing that whites and mixed race people were leaving the country.

Matilda Pilacapio discusses the transition of the capital of Milne Bay from Samarai Island to Alotau in 1964.

Matilda Pilacapio describes her first time in Port Moresby to deal with legal issues surrounding her late father's plantation and her involvement with complex legal system of Australia and PNG in her divorce. She recalls that she had the same lawyer as Talair owner Dennis Buchanan, leading later to his support for her 1977 election campaign.

Matilda Pilacapio discusses Papua Besana and Josephine Abaijah and some ambivalence about supporting her, and the rise of many factions which some thought would split the country apart at independence and lead to bloodshed.

Matilda Pilacapio describes working in 1974 at PNG Motors in Port Moresby during the day and at a restaurant at night. She recalls leaving in 1975 to work for PNG Printing where Ray Thurecht was chair of the Papua New Guinea Independence Air Race.