Peata Melbourne

Peata was born in Christchurch to the Venerable Dr Te Waaka (Sonny) Melbourne (Tuhoe, Ngati Kahungunu, Rongowhakaata) and Cherry (Here) Waikohu Melbourne (nee Paipa) (Ngati Porou). She is the youngest of 5 children, Wepiha Rangiteaorere Melbourne, Nawarihi Ruckes, Awanui-a-rangi Melbourne, and Taiarahia Melbourne. Sonny and Here lived in Otaki where her father was the Minister of the oldest Maori Anglican Church - Rangiatea, which was burnt down in 1995, and rebuilt in 2003. They then moved to Waiouru Army Camp where her father was a padre in the army before moving to Rotorua in 1986 where Peata spent most of her childhood. Raised in a musical family with parents heavily involved in kapa haka and stage productions, Peata excelled in classical piano, acapella and kapa haka. In 1996 she stood at her first senior National Kapa Haka Competition, now known as Te Matatini, with Rotorua group Ngati Rangiwewehi who claimed the champions title that year. After leaving school, Peata spent a year in Auckland working at Aotearoa Television Network - the pilot service for the country's first Maori television station, where she presented, directed and researched for various shows. Following the stations' closure a year later due to insufficient funding, she went on to attend Waikato University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts double major in Strategic Management & Leadership and Film & TV. In 2002 she took up her first full-time role as a journalist with TVNZ's Te Karere Maori News show. Before starting at Maori TV's Te Kaea News as the Weekend Anchor, she spent time working as a researcher for Whakapapa Productions on the Land Wars Documentary and acting on the educational drama series, Korero Mai. Her daughter, Aiorangi was born in 2005 in Rotorua to actor Temuera Morrison. Peata remained at Te Kaea until 2009 when she began as a freelancer directing, researching and translating for various independent media production companies before taking up the role of Press Secretary in 2011 for National MP Georgina te Heuheu. A year later, te Heuheu resigned from politics and Peata returned to TVNZ's Te Karere covering political stories, and filling in the presenting role. During this time, Peata co-produced a music album with Ngatapa Black featuring both established and new musicians re-versioning songs composed by her uncle, Dr Hirini Melbourne. The album, He Rangipaihuarere won Best Traditional Maori Album of the year in 2012 at the Waiata Maori Music Awards. In 2014 Peata and Ngatapa took over Pao Pao Pao - a musical mentoring program established by Dr Hirini Melbourne, and continue to oversee the project alongside musicians Seth Haapu, Tama Waipara, and Rob Ruha. In 2017 she was offered a role at Maori TVs Current Affairs Show - Native Affairs, and the following year went on to produce a daily news show, Kawe Korero. At the end of 2018, she left the world of media and delved into the corporate world working in the newly established Communications Manager role at one of the world's biggest tobacco companies - Philip Morris. During this time, Peata established her own media production company - Te Koru Media - and produced her first theatrical play, Provocation. Her creative team at Te Koru Media then went on to make a short film, Disrupt, that Peata produced. The film was featured in the Hawaiian Film Festival 2021, the Nga Whanaunga Section of the New Zealand Film Festival 2021, and the Maorilands Film Festival 2022. Covid-19 sent the country into a full lockdown in March 2020, and it was then she was approached once again by Maori TV to return to the station and assist the news team in delivering daily covid-updates, and be the new news anchor for station's flagship show - Te Ao Marama.