Meet our people

Ngāti Whātua, Te Rarawa

I had never been to the Auckland Museum before I started working here. I was finishing up at Western Springs College and wasn’t ready to go straight to university. Unsure of what I wanted to do, I saw an opportunity in a role at the Museum and knew it would help me gain various skills to fill up my kete mātauranga. I started at Tāmaki Paenga Hira in 2019 when I was 17 and I've been here ever since!

My first position in 2019 was as a performer in the Māori Cultural Experience. By the end of that year, I transitioned to Visitor Services, where I worked as a Visitor Host and took on Guest Kaiako duties with Learning & Public Programmes. In 2021, I became an Associate Project Manager for Learning & Public Programmes. Alongside these roles, I have also supported the Museum in the cultural sphere.

In my current role, I project manage Public Programmes events, which involves bringing the public into the Museum and activating our spaces to reach more people. This work entails engaging with communities, understanding their needs, and maintaining numerous relationships. Although the Museum operates nine-to-five, community engagement often extends beyond those hours!

I love the people here, and value being able to act as a bridge that connects people to our Museum. That's my role; our role.

Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine, Te Atiawa, Ngāti Raukawa ki Waikato, Te Arawa

During my second year at university, I ran into a friend from school who was working at the Auckland Museum as a cultural performer. This encounter inspired me to look at the job listings on the Museum's website, as I was seeking part-time work. I found a listing for a Visitor Host position and applied. For the past six years, I have worked at the Museum in various roles. I started in that role as a Visitor Host, and then moved into Visitor Market Research, teaching as a Guest Kaiako, and now I am a Learning Specialist and Pou Tikanga.

As a Learning Specialist Mātauranga Māori, I create and deliver educational content to groups ranging from early childhood education to adult learners, with programs focused on Mātauranga Māori and New Zealand Histories. Our learning team maintains external relationships with many GLAM institutions within Tāmaki Makaurau and Mana Whenua to ensure the best experiences for our learners.

My goal is to enhance engagement - not only with mainstream schools, but also with Māori-medium schools. Additionally, in my role as Pou Tikanga, I support the Museum’s cultural direction, ensuring tikanga Māori is interwoven through our work. This involves providing cultural advice to staff and ensuring that aspects of tikanga are considered in projects and tasks within the Museum.

One of my favourite aspects of my role is hearing our tamariki learn about the history of Aotearoa and engaging in Māori culture in a meaningful way that I hope will stay with them forever. The best thing about working here is the inspiring people and the work that connects us to different people, taonga, places, and times.

"I was attracted to working at Auckland Museum because I love the building, but what lies within has proved much more rewarding than I anticipated. Working at the Museum is inspiring, challenging and never boring - there are so many stories to share with our visitors. As a bonus, the people I get to work with are precious and fascinating specimens themselves!"

Initially recruited as a Textile Cataloguing Assistant in 2004, Suliana is now a member of the Museum’s in-house security team. The Museum houses many valuable and priceless taonga and hosts many VIP guests, so security officers play a vital role around the clock. Every day Suliana liaises with the public, contractors, volunteers and Museum staff.  On top of that, she has to monitor and maintain state-of-the-art security systems and technology.

“When I was young I vowed to never to work in a cubicle. I came to the Museum while studying at university, as a volunteer. Lo and behold that was almost 10 years ago.  Reasons why I love working here? There are many: I enjoy the diversity of its employees, from scientist, artist to builder and accountant; I enjoy working inside such an iconic building; and, most of all, I love the interesting experiences that occur in this place, such as war memorials, gallery events, VIP visitors and fire alarms!”

Larry started his career as a visitor host where he provided a warm experience for our manuhiri,.  

"This fale is home for me, and so when you have visitors come to your fale you want to make sure they feel comfortable and when they leave you want them to come back to visit again," he says. 

 Larry has also served as a Community Facilitator for the Pacific Collections Access Project (PCAP), that aimed to reconnect Pacific Communities with their taonga and improve our knowledge and understanding of these collections.   

During this project he discovered that his own mother held cultural knowledge about his favourite Measina.  

"As long I’ve worked here I've always looked at the Le Sina and wondered how my ancestors made this. 

It wasn’t until I worked in the PCAP project that I discovered my mother knew all about the Le Sina. Just like that she talked about it like it was a normal thing whilst growing up in Samoa. The ‘’Le Sina’’ is even more special to me now. 

That's the unique thing about working at the Museum, you are always learning something new.  

Larry has had a long fulfilling career at the Museum and he has recently moved into a new role as a Pou Herenga Manager in our exhibitions team.   

Being surrounded by beautiful taonga, and being part of a team who can share them with every visitor that comes into the museum is what Parai loves about his role as a Visitor Host.  

During his time at the Museum Parai took part in on the job accreditation and achieved a New Zealand Certificate in Tourism (Visitor Experience) – Level 3. He was also recognised for his outstanding Customer Service with a ServiceIQ Ambassador Award.  

His Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts and Diploma in Dance and Drama have proven very useful. He often gets involved in the ‘Night at the Museum’ events where he’s put his acting talents to work in various roles including as a paleontologist! 

"There is such a variety of things that you can get involved with here at the Museum, every day is different."