Tag Archives: Edmund Hillary

New Zealand’s Story in Pictures Nearly Lost Forever

New Zealand’s Story in Pictures Nearly Lost Forever

Rescued from landfill by Duncan Miller Gallery in Los Angeles, a trove of photos depicting pivotal scenes dating back to 1841 in New Zealand is now being auctioned and sold to institutions, Charlotte Graham-McClay…

Seventy Years Celebrated with Sir Ed Quotes

Seventy Years Celebrated with Sir Ed Quotes

“Everest was first climbed 70 years ago in May, cementing New Zealander Edmund Hillary’s and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay’s place in world history. Hillary has left behind a treasure trove of bon mots about mountaineering…

Sir Edmund Hillary Centenary Celebration: New Zealand actor Sam Neill speaks on bad haircuts

Sir Edmund Hillary Centenary Celebration: New Zealand actor Sam Neill speaks on bad haircuts

Beloved New Zealand actor, winemaker and friend of Sir Ed, Sam Neill, speaks at the Sir Edmund Hillary Centenary Celebration – a Hillary Centenary Steering Committee (HCSC) event that…

Calcutta Celebrates Hillary@100: “Tales Of Man On Mission”

Calcutta Celebrates Hillary@100: “Tales Of Man On Mission”

A celebration of the life and work of Sir Edmund Hillary in Calcutta on Saturday “remembered him with stories and anecdotes of not only as the mountaineer who became the first to climb Mount…

Edmund Hillary Fellows Encourage Bold and Humble Leaders

Edmund Hillary Fellows Encourage Bold and Humble Leaders

“A verdant Burning Man with lots more global utopianism” is how American business columnist and Elon Musk biographer Ashlee Vance describes on Bloomberg.com the experimental New Zealand Global Impact Visa. Helmed by Illinois…

Paintings from Sir Edmund Hillary’s Everest Climb Found

Paintings from Sir Edmund Hillary’s Everest Climb Found

“Never-before-seen paintings from Sir Edmund Hillary’s record-breaking expedition to Mount Everest have been found in a house clearance 66 years later.” Darren Boyle reports in an article for The Daily…

Everest for the Time-Pressed Executive

Everest for the Time-Pressed Executive

On the fourth week of their historic assault on Everest in 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were still establishing base camp after the long trek from Kathmandu. It would…

Peter Hillary’s Love of Mountaineering

Peter Hillary’s Love of Mountaineering

When Rebecca Gibian first emailed Peter Hillary about an interview, he replied saying that he was currently at 16,000 feet in the Himalayans, but would get back to her when he returned to New…

Nepal Fetes 64th Anniversary Of Everest Conquest

Nepal Fetes 64th Anniversary Of Everest Conquest

“Nepal’s mountaineering community celebrated the first conquest of Mount Everest 64 years ago on Monday (May 29), as well as this year’s climbing season, during which hundreds scaled the world’s highest peak,” as reported…

First Trailer of Everest Has Been Released

First Trailer of Everest Has Been Released

The first trailer for Everest, which tells the true story of the 1996 Mount Everest Disaster, has been released. The film follows a group of American climbers (Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Michael Kelly)…

Sarah Robb O’Hagan Influencing and Innovating in NY

Sarah Robb O’Hagan Influencing and Innovating in NY

New Zealander Sarah Robb O’Hagan, 42, was recently named as one of the New York Business Journal’s “Women of Influence” at an inaugural award ceremony honouring business leaders in New York City who innovate,…

Must-See for Those after Palpable Taste of Unique Adventure

Must-See for Those after Palpable Taste of Unique Adventure

What sets docudrama Beyond The Edge apart from hundreds of other accounts of Edmund Hillary and Norgay Tenzing’s Mount Everest ascent is the intimate footage of the small group that set off from base…

Rugged Coast a Place of Refuge for Hillary

Rugged Coast a Place of Refuge for Hillary

Sir Edmund Hillary’s daughter, Sarah reflects on the area in New Zealand – along the wild coast of the Waitakere Ranges – where the mountaineer found refuge, from the attention that followed his conquest…

Leave the Hillary Step Ladderless Urges American Mountaineer

Leave the Hillary Step Ladderless Urges American Mountaineer

“Sixty years ago this week, as Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay approached the summit of the world’s highest mountain, they were stopped by a 40-foot wall of rock and ice,” American mountaineer Ed Viesturs…

First Hand Account from the Top

First Hand Account from the Top

Sixty years after Hillary and Tenzing reached Everest’s summit, a number of new books dissect the events of 1953, including two books by New Zealander George Lowe, who died in March aged 89, the…

All That and Everest Too

All That and Everest Too

The British expedition to the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, led by New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary, was one memorable event of that year, “a summer sixty years ago when all seemed possible,”…

It’s the Joy that Always Wins Out

It’s the Joy that Always Wins Out

New Zealand mountaineer George Lowe, the last survivor of the 1953 British expedition that conquered Everest, has died in Ripley, England aged 89. Hastings-born Lowe played a crucial part in the party’s success, displaying…

Beyond the Edge

Beyond the Edge

The epic story of the first known ascent of Mt Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay is to be made into a 3D feature by award-winning New Zealand documentary maker Leanne…

Epic Story About Epic Men

Epic Story About Epic Men

A new book about New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s ascent of Mt Everest “is one of courage, perseverance and jingoism”, author Justin Cartwright writes for The Observer. “Mick Conefrey’s moving book…

Proud of Being a New Zealander: Witi Ihimaera on Edmund Hillary

Proud of Being a New Zealander: Witi Ihimaera on Edmund Hillary

Witi Ihimaera reflects on what makes him most proud to be a New Zealander.

Mt Cook Ridge Renamed

Mt Cook Ridge Renamed

Mt Cook’s South Ridge will be renamed the Hillary Ridge in honour of Sir Edmund Hillary, the Everest conqueror. Announcing the change, Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson said: “Sir Edmund made an enormous contribution…

South Pole Misadventures

South Pole Misadventures

A new book by New Zealand journalist and respected author on Antarctic explorers John Thomson says Edmund Hillary “cheated” his way to the South Pole in 1958. Thomson, author of Climbing the…

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Sir Edmund Hillary is part of an august group of adventurers, entertainers, geniuses, and outlaws in Lapham’s Quarterly’s Celebrity issue “Hall of Fame”. “The Mountaineer” rubs shoulders with Theseus, Confucius, Socrates, Gengkis Khan, Leonardo…

Peak Performance

Peak Performance

New Zealand has paid tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay with their Commonwealth Games logo and unique team-identifier, ‘2928 Hillary and Tenzing’, the figure being the height of Mt Everest. “It’s…

Top Shots

Top Shots

The photographer who captured Sir Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Mt Everest hosts a retrospective at Lab X in Melbourne. Alfred Gregory documented Hillary and Tenzing’s feat in a series of images that became recognised…

Dream team celebrated

Dream team celebrated

The New Zealand Olympic Committee has decided to pay tribute to the world’s most famous mountaineering duo by naming the country’s Commonwealth Games logo “2928 Hillary and Tenzing”. The Games will be held in…

Model of all things

Model of all things

“People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” So said the mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary. In the pursuit of the extraordinary, the dean of private business school INSEAD Frank Brown has…

Still the Greatest

Still the Greatest

Adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary is the “greatest living New Zealander” according to the results of a recent Research New Zealand poll. Despite his death in January 2008, Sir Ed was named by 15…

In Praise of Hard Work

In Praise of Hard Work

Radio New Zealand has received a Gold Medal at the recent New York Festival Radio Awards for its documentary on the life of Mount Everest conqueror, Sir Edmund Hillary. The medal went to ‘It’s…

Sensitive Subject

Sensitive Subject

Gisborne-born adventurer Graeme Dingle has said British author Jeffrey Archer is “dreaming” after Archer claimed that George Mallory, not Edmund Hillary, was the first to reach the summit of Everest. Archer’s new book Paths…

New Black Cap

New Black Cap

Newly-appointed Black Caps manager Dave Currie – chef de mission of the New Zealand team for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics campaigns and the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games – has worn many hats…

Fondly Remembered

Fondly Remembered

Sir Edmund Hillary is one of 45 individuals remembered in Time magazine’s 2008 ‘Fond Farewell’ tributes. “On May 29, 1953, Hillary, with the help of his Sherpa guide, became the first person to reach…

Newspaper Half Mast

Newspaper Half Mast

A homage to Sir Edmund Hillary has won this year’s best newspaper advertisement at the 2008 Caxton Awards in Australia picking up the top prize, the Quinlivan Black Award.  The Saatchi & Saatchi Australia…

Search Engine Commemoration

Search Engine Commemoration

The anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay’s ascent of Mount Everest in 1955 has been honoured by search engine giant Google. Google periodically changes its logo to celebrate special events and…

First Knight Memorialised

First Knight Memorialised

Sir Edmund Hillary was honoured by the Queen at a ceremony in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. To a full congregation, Sarah, his daughter, read Allen Curnow’s elegiac poem You Will Know When You…

The Cycle of Life

The Cycle of Life

At home, the colour of the grapes has changed rapidly. In December they were a wistful light green and now, swollen with juice, they are rich …

The World Mourns Our Humble Colossus

The World Mourns Our Humble Colossus

Sir Edmund Hillary – adventurer, philanthropist and global icon – has died aged 88. The lanky beekeeper from Tuakau found international fame in 1953 as the first person to scale Mt Everest, together with…

New Take on an Extraordinary Figure

New Take on an Extraordinary Figure

Sir Edmund Hillary: An Extraordinary Life, a new authorized biography by art curator Alexa Johnston, has been well received both at home and abroad. According to Johnston, speaking in the Sunday Star Times,…

Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks

Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir Roger Bannister are the inspiration behind Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford’s new feature film – Four Minutes. According to Deford, “the pinnacle of athletic achievement in the 20th century was not to be…

Mrs Peace Leaves Her Mark

Mrs Peace Leaves Her Mark

Political activist, peace campaigner and renowned author, Sonja Davies, has died aged 81, leaving an inspiring legacy in her wake. According to her Guardian obituary, Davies – known to many as ‘Mrs Peace’ – ranks…

Sir Ed Speaks Out

Sir Ed Speaks Out

Sir Edmund Hillary has spoken out against a US-led project to build an “ice highway” in Antarctica, which would allow hundreds of tons of scientific equipment to be transported to the Amundsen-Scott Base. ” spent weeks…

Hillary the Height of Fashion

Hillary the Height of Fashion

Newcastle designer, Nigel Cabourn, has released a limited-edition clothing range inspired by Sir Edmund Hillary’s conquest of Everest in 1953. The collection was launched at an exhibition in Tokyo honouring the event’s 50th anniversary…

Fairydown Man Enough for Hillary

Fairydown Man Enough for Hillary

NZ outdoor label, Fairydown, is to be re-named ‘Zone,’ after market research revealed Australian men to be uncomfortable with the original tag’s effeminate connotations. Sir Edmund Hillary, who used a Fairydown sleeping bag on his 1953 ascent…

Living the High Life

Living the High Life

Sir Edmund Hillary received a hero’s welcome in London at an hour-long signing of his books High Adventure and View from the Summit. Dozens of admirers queued in the rain for a chance to…

The Lowe-down

The Lowe-down

George Lowe along with fellow NZer Ed Hillary – attended the 5th anniversary Everest celebrations in London, as one of 7 remaining members of the 1953 expedition. Lowe was the recipient of Hillary’s now…

Bay Alchemy: Red to Gold

Bay Alchemy: Red to Gold

Sacred Hill Wines earned a gold medal for their Helmsman Cabernet Merlot 2000 at the renowned London International Wine Challenge. Chief winemaker Tony Bish sees the award as proof that “Hawke’s Bay, indeed NZ, continues to produce outstanding…

In His Father’s Image, The Shadow of a Mountain

In His Father’s Image, The Shadow of a Mountain

Peter Hillary interviewed about his own Everest experience and his part in the filming of National Geographic‘s documentary, Surviving Everest. “Our challenge was not just to climb, but to make the film about the…

Hillary on show

Hillary on show

The National Geographic Society’s Explorers Hall in Washington has opened an exhibition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s Everest climb. Curiosities include the ice-axe Hillary used in the last few metres…

Sir Ed on “Knocking the Bastard Off”

Sir Ed on “Knocking the Bastard Off”

The Guardian interviews Sir Edmund Hillary in the lead up to the 50th anniversary of his Mt Everest ascent. “He talks about his experiences with the bluff modesty of a Boys’ Own adventure hero Perhaps…

Sir Ed Reflects

Sir Ed Reflects

Sir Edmund Hillary is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his Everest climb with a round of fundraising for The Himalaya Trust. “When I look back over my life, I have little doubt that the most worthwhile…

First to Drive Everest

First to Drive Everest

The latest US advertising campaign for the Toyota 4Runner sport utility centres on scaling the rugged heights of Mt Everest. The Saatchi & Saatchi production uses NZ icon Sir Ed Hillary in its bid…

Ed from the Edge: “World’s Greatest Living Explorer”

Ed from the Edge: “World’s Greatest Living Explorer”

“Humble beekeeper turned world’s greatest living explorer” – Legend Sir Edmund Hillary leads the pack of the ‘ten greatest living explorers’ in an extensive Vanity Fair photo essay. “‘Those magnificent men’ …the men and…

Conquerors’ Offspring in Everest Assault

Conquerors’ Offspring in Everest Assault

Forty-nine years and a generation or two on, Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund, and Tenzing Tashi, grandson of Norgay, will make their own assault on Mount Everest next month to launch a year of celebrations…

“Come Together”

“Come Together”

Wearing a traditional Maori cloak of native bird feathers, the Queen calls on New Zealanders to work together to resolve lingering differences between indigenous Maori and the Government. Elizabeth II was on her 10th tour of…

Everest Celebrations

Everest Celebrations

Sir Edmund Hillary’s 54-year old son Peter will attempt to ascend Mount Everest this month, as Nepal approaches 50th anniversary celebrations of Everest’s first successful ascent in 1953.

Bugger Knocked off for Nearly Fifty Years

Bugger Knocked off for Nearly Fifty Years

It’s 48 years since Sir Edmund and Tenzing put themselves on the roof of the world.