NZ and Antarctica share a long and rich history. From Tuati in 1839 to Edmund Hillary in the 1950s and more recent scientists, Kiwis have explored, examined and endured the frozen continent.
The legendary mountaineer, adventurer and philanthropist – whose familiar, craggy face beams out from the $5 note – is the best-known New Zealander ever to have lived. His ascent of Mt Everest with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953 brought him worldwide fame – literally overnight.
On 28 November 1979, 237 passengers and 20 crew were killed when Air New Zealand Flight TE901 crashed into the side of Mt Erebus, Antarctica. The tragedy was followed by a demanding recovery operation and a raging debate over who or what was to blame
On 29 May – four days before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II – Hillary and the experienced Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mt Everest and became the first men to stand on the ‘roof of the world’.
New Zealanders were actively or passively involved in a number of significant Antarctic firsts - notably the first landing on the continent proper in 1895 and the first overland crossing between 1955 and 1958. For some this ‘first' marked the beginning of a long relationship with the continent, for others it was but a fleeting moment that nevertheless saw their name live on in history.
In 1987 Ed Hillary was among the first 20 people selected as members of the Order of New Zealand (ONZ), this country’s highest honour. He has been the recipient of numerous honours during his lifetime.
Sir Paul Reeves, Governor-General of New Zealand (R) and Colonel Thomas W. Wood, United States Air Attaché to the U. S. Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand (L), stand at the South Pole Station on December 3, 1986
