Carol Kidu

Who is Carol Kidu?

Dame Carol Kidu, DBE is an Australian-born Papua New Guinean politician. She was the only female Member of Parliament in the 2002-2007 and 2007-2012 National Parliaments, and served as Minister for Community Development under Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare from 2002 to 2 August 2011 and as Opposition Leader from 15 February 2012 until her retirement from politics in July 2012. She was the leader of the Melanesian Alliance Party until her retirement.

Born as Carol Anne Millwater in Shorncliffe, Queensland, Australia, she relocated to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea after marrying Buri Kidu, who later became Sir Buri Kidu after being knighted in 1980 on his appointment as the first indigenous Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea. She became a teacher and wrote school textbooks. She was widowed in 1994 after her husband died of a heart attack.