Statement on the passing of Dr Helen Hill
Presidency of the Council of Ministers
Spokesperson of the Government of Timor-Leste
Ninth Constitutional Government
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May 8th, 2024
Press Release
Statement on the passing of Dr Helen Hill
Dr Helen Hill lived a life of solidarity with Timor-Leste.
She first visited Dili in early 1975, a time she recalled of ‘expectancy and optimism’.
Her plan to write a Masters thesis on the transition to independence in Portuguese Timor came to an end when Indonesia invaded.
Instead, she wrote ‘The Timor Story’ published in late 1975, that became the bible for scholars and activists wanting to know about the events in our embattled land leading up to the invasion.
Helen went on to be a leading international scholar on community development in Timor- Leste.
She mentored thousands of Timorese students in Dili and at Victoria University in Melbourne where she lectured for many years.
She was a co-organiser of the biennial Victoria University and Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL) conferences.
She was a Professora Convidada at UNTL, and an Honorary Fellow at Victoria University. She was awarded the Order of Timor-Leste for her lifetime of solidarity to our country in 2014. Helen was also a co-founder of the Australia-East Timor Association.
Helen Hill helped share our story and our struggle with the world. She educated thousands of students. She will be profoundly missed.
Vale Helen.
