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David Cohen



River accident victim named as top journalist [UPDATED]

David Cohen | Wednesday December 30, 2009 - 12:54pm

The woman swept away yesterday afternoon in a Wairarapa river has been named as the journalist Helen Bain. She was 38.

The award-winning reporter, a communications manager at Forest & Bird for the past three years and a passionate equestrian in her private life, had been on a horse that fell while trying to cross the swollen Ruamahanga River. She was found downstream but could not be revived.
 
Prior to joining F&B, she worked as a political editor with the Sunday Star-Times after first cutting her teeth as a reporter with the old Dominion newspaper. She also was employed as a parliamentary press secretary for John Tamihere, whom she liked and loathed in more or less equal measure and for whom she ghosted a brisk autobiography, Black and White 
 
F&B general manager Mike Britton is quoted as praising his British-born and Hutt Valley-raised comms chief, who turned down a position as assistant editor at the New Zealand Listener to take her last position, as a professional who “had great political skills and knew just about everybody. She had a great ability to get on with stuff and get it done."
 
Among her award-winning journalistic scoops was the discovery that New Zealand agencies had spied on the United Nations and countries such as Japan, France and a number of island-nations in the South Pacific. Her shorthand skills were second to none.
 
Helen Bain was also a great friend of this column — we lunched regularly with her in the capital, most recently this past Wednesday — and a fantastic source of industry news and gossip.
 
Surprisingly, perhaps, at least for those only familiar with her unsentimental, sometimes astringent style of doing journalistic business, she possessed a sweet sense of humour, which on occasion she also silently gave to improving a small number of this column’s posting. Here for instance is a brief quiz that she helped write on what makes for a true “journalism star.”
 
The quiz was only ever meant frivolously of course, but Helen Louise Bain was also a example of the kind of person we’d always offer as a very serious example of what makes for a marvellous media professional. 
 
[UPDATE: A celebration of Helen Bain’s life will be held in Cornwall Manor, corner of Knight’s Road and Cornwall Street, Lower Hutt at 11.00 am, Monday January 4. A dedicated thread in her memory, which is being administered by her sister, can also be viewed on the Forest & Bird website.]
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Comments

Helen Bain

I was very saddened to hear of the death of Helen Bain. I worked with her at The Dominion Newspaper many years ago when I was a rookie journalist. For a newbie such as me, she was someone to look up to in the media profession and she was also a good colleague. My sympathy goes out to her friends and family.

Posted by Anna Fyfe at 03:30 pm on December 30, 2009

Helen

Helen was my sister and it is comforting for our family to read amazing tributes like these. Of course we know she was a unique and inimitable woman and we are very proud of her.
Her funeral will be on Monday, although we have not yet confirmed the time and place.

Posted by Jan Ashworth at 09:40 pm on December 30, 2009

Helen Bain

I too was very saddened and shocked to hear of Helen's death. Being in PR I've worked with Helen for many years now, and most recently through Forest & Bird Mag, and I have the utmost respect for her. She's always been efficient, professional, straight up, and likable making it a pleasure to work with her. Her loss is huge, and my heartfelt condolences go to her family and friends and colleagues.

Posted by Lorraine Steele at 09:45 am on January 02, 2010

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