Pita Simogun

Sir Pita Simogun ( – 11 April 1987) was a Papua New Guinean policeman, farmer and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Council from 1951 to 1961 and then as a member of the House of Assembly from 1964 to 1968, during which time he was also Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Police.

Biography Simogun was born in Bargedem in East Sepik around 1900, the son of Haletuo and Yesmari. His parents both died while he was young, and he moved to a copra plantation at Salamaua with his adopted parents. He initially served in the Kokopo and Rabaul area, before being transferred to Talasea. before settling in Urip village in 1948. He restarted the village coconut plantation, founded a Rural Progress Society to encourage rice growing, set up his own plantation and worked a truck driver. He married three times and had eleven children. He contested the Wewak-Aitape Open seat in the 1964 general elections and was elected to the new House of Assembly. Following the elections, he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Police. He served in the legislature until the 1968 elections. He was buried with full military honours in the army cemetery at Moem Barracks.