Five minutes with our new Communications Manager, Taiha Molyneux

Barbara ‘Taiha’ Molyneux joined us just a few weeks ago in the midst of lockdown. A challenging time for all but even more so when you’re new on the job and don’t get to meet your team in person or have any face-to-face interaction across the business. Taiha is however familar with our institution – she’s a Unitec  grad as is her sister, Ngaire Molyneux, who works here too. She shares with us here a little about herself and her career.

Taiha (left) with her sister who is also a Unitec grad and staff member, Ngaire Molyneux, Business Advisor – School of Applied Business

Meet Taiha Molyneux…

Ko Taiarahia te maunga
Ko Ōhinemataroa te awa
Ko Ngāi Tūhoe me Ngāti Kahungunu ngā iwi
Ko Tauarau me Te Rewarewa ngā Marae
Ko Ngāti Rongo, Ngāti Koura me Te Māhurehure ngā hapū
Ko Barbara Taiha Molyneux tō`ku ingoa

Taiarahia is my mountain
Ohinemataroa is my river
Tūhoe and Ngāti Kahungunu are my iwi
Tauarau and Te Rewarewa are my Marae
Ngāti Rongo, Ngāti Koura and Te Māhurehure are my hapū
Barbara Taiha Molyneux is my name

Taiha, tell us a little about your background…

Since graduating from Unitec with a Bachelor of International Communications in 2001, I’ve spent the majority of my career in Māori and mainstream media covering many events including the Hikoi Takutai Moana, which saw 40,000 march on Parliament following the implementation of the Foreshore and Seabed legislation.

As a journalist one of the more difficult events I was involved in covering was the fall-out and subsequent charges on whanaunga (relations) of mine, following the Operation 8 terror raids in the small valley of Ruatoki where I was raised by my grandmother Keri ‘Girlie’ Hiraina Rangiaho nee Melbourne – this was a particularly difficult kaupapa to cover as I knew and was raised with many of the people affected. My maunga and the whare based on top of the maunga, which is known as Kuramihirangi, was identified in news coverage as a potential “terror camp”. It was difficult to cover from an objective stand-point but provided valuable learning for me as a journalist and an individual.

Taiha reporting on the U.S. election for Māori TV in 2014

On an international level; I was sent to Washington DC to cover the Election which saw Donald Trump sworn in as President of the United States; I spent two weeks living amongst four remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory following the implementation of the Northern Territory Liquor Ban; I was also honoured to be invited to and attend the Australian Prime Minister (Kevin Rudd’s) apology to the Stolen Generations in Canberra on the front lawn of Parliament House; and I also spent a week with the Aboriginal nations at the tent embassy on the front lawn of old parliament house where Aboriginal nations have remained for more than 50 years.

An interesting side note is that during that my career as a journalist, I regularly interviewed Te Tumu Glenn Mckay, who at that time was a police officer and an important te reo Māori spokesperson for safety messages and updates for whānau.

I also worked as a Media and Comms support specialist for the Ministry for Children/Oranga Tamariki and the Ngāpuhi Rūnanga.             

You’ve arrived in the midst of lockdown, quite a challenging time to settle in and meet people, how has this been for you so far?

Onboarding during lockdown has been challenging but rewarding all at the same time. I’ve managed to master some new technical skills I never possessed prior to lockdown. As a Māori its been strange to enter a new organisation without a Whakatau or Pōhiri, but it’s also opened the door to provide more personal and in-depth introductions to the amazing Unitec team.

Taiha’s kids; Saane Kashara Hiraina Katoa Molyneux (26) and Kani Kātoa (17) supporting their Tongan heritage at a Tonga v New Zealand rugby league game

Have you been able to assess some opportunities and also challenges in your role and for the Communications team?

Since coming on board all I have seen is amazing stories and people that I would love to know more about, and the creativity and innovation of the Unitec teaching and support teams has blown me away. The only challenge is time and the technical issues I have experienced in delivering the stories in a timely manner. I see an amazing opportunity to create champions within Schools to help craft stories and gather material to build amazing content that can help us get the fantastic stories of staff and students out to the masses, and show them exactly what’s possible and what our people are capable of.

You’re only in week 4 but do you have any specific priorities you’re ready to get stuck into and what are you enjoing so far about Unitec?

I want to provide the right support for the Comms and Marketing team and develop trusting and meaningful relationships with the entire team. I will also be focusing on getting to know and supporting the wider Unitec whānau, by telling as many stories as possible and doing it well, so the Schools and people involved are proud and satisfied. In turn this will hopefully encourage people to step forward, share their stories and be proud of what they’re doing, reflecting the takitahi way of working together.

I’m extremely passionate about Te Noho Kotahitanga; the values it covers are a part of my daily life. I’m very proud to work for an organisation that prides itself on its commitment to these values.

Outside of Unitec what do you enjoy doing?

Outside of work I enjoy boxing as it’s a great tension release, and I love spending time with friends and whānau. I am expecting my first mokopuna very soon so this will no doubt become my number one favourite thing to do outside of mahi, spending quality time and helping my daughter and her partner to make sure my mokopuna has the best life possible.

Taiha pictured below with her whānau in front of the house where she was raised in Ruatoki. The church in the background is on Taiha’s Marae Tauarau