Yesterday at 9a.m on 11 January 2008 Sir Edmund Hillary passed away. The man who put New Zealand on the map by being the first person to reach the top of Mt Everest in 1953. An editorial in The Christchurch Weekend Press states that
- in 1956 he went to Antarctica to establish Scott Base as leader of the New Zealand section of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition
- 1957 Scott Base officially opened on jannuary 22. Hillary winters over with 22 others.
- 1958 Hillary and four others arrive at the American base at the South Pole on January 4, becoming the first to reach it overland since Robert Falcon Scott. Hillary returns to Scott Base by plane, returning to meet Vivian Fuchs when he reachess the pole from the Weddell Sea on January 18, then guides the group back to Scott Base.
A quote on the front page of the Press prints a quote made by Sir Ed which is very poignant
'It is not the mountains that we conquer but ourselves'
A state funeral will be held for Sir Edmund Hillary, Tuesday22 January 2008. Sir Ed will lie in State until his funeral
Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this sad time in their lives.
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