Edmund Hillary

NAME Sir Edmund Percival Hillary

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Edmund Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and humanitarian, best known as one of the first two people to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

BIRTH Born on July 20, 1919, in Auckland, New Zealand. Though he often claimed to be from Tuakau, he was actually born at the Kelvin Private Hospital in Remuera, Auckland.​

FAMILY BACKGROUND His father was Percival Augustus Hillary, a World War I veteran, journalist, and beekeeper who was a strict disciplinarian with "strong egalitarian beliefs". His mother was Gertrude Hillary (née Clark), a teacher described as gentle and nurturing. (1)

He had one older sister, June, and a younger brother, Rex. His paternal grandparents were early settlers in Northern Wairoa.​

CHILDHOOD The family moved to a farm near Tuakau, a small rural town south of Auckland, in 1920. The young Hillary was smaller than his peers and very shy. He struggled at high school, achieving only average marks, and often took refuge in books and daydreams of adventure.  He gained confidence after taking up boxing 

His introduction to the mountains came at age 16 during a school trip to Mount Ruapehu, where he saw snow for the first time and was instantly captivated.​

EDUCATION Hillary attended Tuakau Primary School where his mother taught. 

For his secondary education, he went to Auckland Grammar School, enduring a daily train commute of more than two hours each way. The long journey kept him from most after-school activities and reinforced his natural shyness, though he often passed the time reading.

At the tertiary level, Hillary studied mathematics and science at Auckland University College for two years before dropping out, having little enthusiasm at the time for academic study. Formal education mattered less to him than experiential learning.

In later life, his achievements were recognised academically: he received an Honorary Doctorate from Victoria University of Wellington in 1970 and was made an honorary fellow of several respected institutions.

CAREER RECORD 1938 – Early 1950s: He worked with his father and brother, Rex, managing over 1,600 hives. This physical work contributed to his formidable fitness and endurance.

1939: His climbing career began reaching the summit of Mount Ollivier, near Aoraki / Mount Cook in the Southern Alps

1953: First Ascent of Mount Everest

1955-1958  Leader of the New Zealand section of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1955-1958) and reaching the South Pole by tractor

1960: Founded the Himalayan Trust in the 1960s, which built schools, hospitals, medical clinics, and airfields in the remote Everest region of Nepal 

1977: Leader of the 1977 jet-boat expedition up the Ganges River to its source (Britannica, Edmund Hillary).

1985: Accompanied  Neil Armstrong to the North Pole

1985–1988: Served as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India (concurrently Ambassador to Nepal and High Commissioner to Bangladesh)

APPEARANCE  Hillary was a tall man, growing to be about 6 feet 5 inches (195 cm) .  In his youth, he was described as a "skeleton as tall as I was" with a "hatchet-thin face". He was later known for his craggy face and famous beaming smile. Hillary's appearance became synonymous with endurance and quiet strength.

Hillary in c. 1953

FASHION Hillary wore a "Summit Anorak", a royal blue windproof smock made of Ventile cotton, during his ascent of Everest, along with down clothing, wool layers, and heavy leather climbing boots.​ (3)

In his everyday life, he favoured practical, rugged clothing suitable for the outdoors, often seen in shirt sleeves or simple sweaters in later years.​

CHARACTER Hillary was known for his humility, famously describing himself as just an "average bloke" and "not particularly gifted at anything."  He possessed a "thrusting mind" that swept away obstacles and a deep practicality. (4)

Hillary credited teamwork over individual glory and was deeply loyal to his companions.

Despite his achievements, he remained shy in social situations for much of his life but was driven by intense motivation and determination. He was compassionate, deeply committed to the welfare of the Sherpa people.​​

SPEAKING VOICE Hillary spoke in a distinct New Zealand accent. Though shy initially, he trained in public speaking through the "Radiant Living" movement, which taught him to speak confidently from the platform. His tone was often understated, matter-of-fact, and modest.​​

SENSE OF HUMOUR He possessed a dry, self-deprecating Kiwi humour. He considered humour essential for survival on expeditions, noting that when Sherpas laughed at dangerous situations, it eased the tension. He once stumped the panel on the TV show What's My Line? with his unassuming demeanour.​

RELATIONSHIPS His first wife, Louise Mary Rose, was an accomplished musician and the daughter of the President of the New Zealand Alpine Club. They married on September 3, 1953, shortly after his Everest ascent. Hillary was reportedly so nervous about proposing that he relied on Louise's mother to propose on his behalf.

They had three children: Peter (born 1954), Sarah (born 1956), and Belinda (born 1959, died 1975).​ Peter followed in his adventurous footsteps, becoming the first father and son to both summit Everest

Louise was the first fundraiser for the work in Nepal and was killed along with their daughter Belinda in a plane crash near Kathmandu in 1975. 

Hillary, with his first wife, Louise, and son, Peter, 1955

Hillary married his second wife June Mulgrew in 1989. She was the widow of his close friend Peter Mulgrew and accompanied him on many later travels and diplomatic duties.​

He maintained lifelong friendships with George Lowe (climbing partner) and Tenzing Norgay, whom he respected deeply and visited often.​

EVEREST Sir Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Everest in 1953 looks, in hindsight, like the inevitable conclusion to a well-organised plan carried out by sensible men with clipboards and an unusual tolerance for cold. In reality, it was the end result of years of trial, error, frostbite, and the stubborn refusal of the world’s highest mountain to cooperate. When Hillary and Tenzing Norgay finally stood on the summit, it was not so much a triumphal charge as the last careful shuffle of two men who had been edging upward for weeks and had no intention of undoing it by rushing.

The climb was part of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition, led by Colonel John Hunt, a man who believed that mountains, like military campaigns, could be conquered with sufficient planning, manpower, and tents. Sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club, it was the ninth serious attempt on Everest and employed what might politely be called a “siege” approach. About ten climbers were supported by hundreds of porters and Sherpas, all devoted to the single-minded task of dragging an alarming quantity of equipment higher and higher until the mountain eventually ran out of excuses.

Hillary was not new to the Himalayas. He had already been on reconnaissance expeditions in 1951 and 1952, which meant he had learned, among other things, that the Khumbu Icefall was exactly as unpleasant as it looked. This prior suffering proved useful. Hunt’s plan was to establish a ladder of camps creeping up the mountain, culminating in a final assault from the South Col, with two summit teams sent up in sequence, just in case the first pair ran out of oxygen, luck, or enthusiasm.

The chosen route was the south-east ridge from Nepal, which obligingly funnels climbers through a catalogue of horrors: the collapsing Khumbu Icefall, the deceptively serene Western Cwm, the brutally steep Lhotse Face, and finally the South Col, perched at nearly 26,000 feet and offering all the comfort of a windswept car park on the moon. By mid-May, the expedition had established its highest camp there, and Everest, having done its best to discourage them, was forced to tolerate further visitors.

On May 26, the first summit pair, Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans, made a valiant attempt using experimental closed-circuit oxygen sets. They reached the South Summit, a mere ninety or so vertical metres from the top—close enough to see success, but not close enough to enjoy it—before oxygen problems and exhaustion persuaded them that discretion was the better part of immortality. They turned back, and Hunt calmly handed the next attempt to Hillary and Tenzing, sensibly equipping them with simpler, more reliable oxygen gear.

Hillary and Tenzing spent the night of May 28 in a tiny camp high on the ridge, where sleep was optional and comfort nonexistent. The next morning, they set off early, inching their way upward in air so thin it could be rented out as an abstraction. By around nine o’clock, they had reached the South Summit. Ahead lay a narrow, exposed ridge with spectacular drops on either side and, guarding the way like a final exam question, a steep rock-and-ice barrier some forty feet high.

This obstacle, later immortalised as the Hillary Step, was less a “step” than a vertical insult. Hillary led, discovering a narrow gap between rock and ice, into which he wedged himself with the kind of determination usually associated with stubborn furniture. By chopping steps and applying his ice axe with enthusiasm, he hauled himself up and, moments later, pulled Tenzing after him. Beyond this, the mountain relented at last, offering a sloping snowfield instead of outright defiance.

At about 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Hillary and Tenzing arrived at the summit of Everest. They stayed for roughly fifteen minutes—long enough to take photographs, leave small offerings, and confirm that no one else had got there first and forgotten to mention it. Then, sensibly, they went back down.

Hillary and Tenzing on return from the summit of Everest By Jamling Tenzing Norgay

Both men were adamant from the start that the achievement was shared, and they refused to say who stepped onto the summit first. Later, Tenzing would clarify that Hillary had arrived moments ahead, but the point hardly mattered. What mattered was that they had done it together, supported by a vast team whose labour made the moment possible.

The news reached the outside world on June 2, 1953, conveniently coinciding with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Hillary was knighted and became famous overnight, though he remained, at heart, a practical New Zealander slightly bemused by all the fuss.

The ascent proved the south-east ridge was a workable route, confirmed the value of supplemental oxygen, and, perhaps most importantly, brought overdue recognition to the skill and endurance of Sherpa climbers. For Hillary, it marked the moment he stopped being a beekeeper with an adventurous hobby and became a figure of global significance, opening the door to later polar expeditions and decades of humanitarian work in Nepal. Everest was the summit of his climbing career, but in many ways, it was only the beginning.

OTHER EXPEDITIONS After Everest in 1953, Hillary shifted from “first ascent” mountaineering into polar exploration, high‑altitude science, river expeditions, and large‑scale humanitarian work in Nepal. He often said that what mattered most to him after Everest was not new summits, but the schools and hospitals he helped build for Sherpa communities.​

Hillary returned repeatedly to the Himalayas, climbing around ten more major peaks on expeditions in 1954, 1956, 1960–61, and 1963–65. In 1954 he led a New Zealand reconnaissance of Makalu and helped identify a viable route before illness forced his evacuation, and he also took part in climbs of peaks like Baruntse and Ama Dablam on later trips.​

In 1960–61, he co‑led the Himalayan Scientific and Mountaineering Expedition, often called the “Silver Hut” expedition, which wintered at about 6,100 m to study long‑term human acclimatisation to high altitude and also investigated Yeti legends, eventually concluding the “relics” were from known animals. This expedition, and the request from monks at Khumjung to build a school, directly triggered the creation of the Himalayan Trust and his long humanitarian engagement in Nepal.​

From 1955–1958, Hillary led the New Zealand party of the Commonwealth Trans‑Antarctic Expedition, initially tasked with laying supply depots for Vivian Fuchs’s crossing of Antarctica. Driving adapted Ferguson tractors, his team pushed beyond their original orders and became the first to reach the South Pole overland since Amundsen and Scott, and the first to do so in motor vehicles, arriving on January 4,  1958.​

Hillary in 1957 after ac­com­pa­nying the first plane to land at the Marble Point ground air strip, Antarctica

Later, in 1985, Hillary joined astronaut Neil Armstrong on a small aircraft flight to the North Pole, and with that journey he became one of the first people to have reached Everest, the South Pole, and the North Pole. These polar expeditions extended his reputation from Himalayan climber to all‑round explorer.​

In 1977, he led his last major expedition, “Ocean to Sky”, a jet‑boat journey following the Ganges River from the Bay of Bengal upstream toward its Himalayan source. Using small Hamilton jet boats, the team navigated nearly 2,600 km of river, rapids, and gorges, an adventure he later described in his book From the Ocean to the Sky and which he saw as both a physical challenge and a way of coping with personal grief after the loss of his first wife and daughter.​

In between these headline journeys, Hillary organised and joined numerous smaller climbing and trekking expeditions in Nepal, often combining exploration with visits to villages where his trust was building schools or clinics. Even when he was no longer aiming for major first ascents, he remained active in remote travel well into later life.​

MONEY AND FAME Hillary never sought to make a fortune from his fame, once stating he "didn't make a million bucks out of Everest". He used his celebrity primarily as a tool for fundraising for the Himalayan Trust. 

His image appears on the New Zealand five-dollar note, making him the only New Zealander to be on a banknote during his or her lifetime.

FOOD AND DRINK Hillary enjoyed simple, hearty food. On expeditions, he tolerated austere rations without complaint and later joked about the monotony of climbing diets.

On Everest, he subsisted on rations like sardines on biscuits, dates, tinned fruit, Kendal Mint Cake (for energy), and "lashings of sweet tea".​​ (6)

Hillary enjoyed social drinks; reports from expeditions mention beer (specifically Lhasa Beer in Tibet) and occasional whisky or wine in base camps.​

MUSIC AND ARTS His first wife, Louise, was a gifted musician who won a viola scholarship. Hillary commissioned a sculptor, Michael Ayrton, to cast a golden honeycomb sculpture for his garden, which his bees then took over as a hive

His appreciation for culture was evident in his respect for Sherpa traditions; he supported the preservation of Sherpa culture and art through his trust.

LITERATURE Hillary was an avid reader from childhood, devouring adventure stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. Rider Haggard, and Zane Grey. In retirement, he enjoyed reading science fiction and adventure novels rather than high-brow arts.​

He authored over 10 books himself, writing several bestsellers including High Adventure (1955), No Latitude for Error (1961), and his autobiography Nothing Venture, Nothing Win (1975).​

NATURE Hillary had a deep, lifelong attachment to the natural world, finding what he described as “joy in the outdoors” and a “love of the bush” in New Zealand’s Waitākere Ranges. (1)

An active conservationist, he championed the protection of fragile environments, particularly in the Himalayas and Antarctica. To remain close to the sea and the wild, he built a family bach at Whites Beach on Auckland’s west coast.

His commitment went beyond advocacy. Hillary served as an International Director of the World Wildlife Fund and was honoured by the United Nations Environmental Programme for his conservation work in the Everest region. He also played a key role in persuading the Nepalese government to introduce forest protection laws and to designate the area surrounding Mount Everest as a national park.

A four-day track in the Waitākere Ranges, along Auckland's west coast, is named the Hillary Trail,  in honour of Edmund Hillary.

View from the Hillary Trail by Avenue - Own work

PETS His long tenure as a beekeeper meant he was constantly working with honeybees

During his Antarctic expeditions, Hillary worked closely with sled dogs, serving as an "assistant dog handler".​

HOBBIES AND SPORTS His main hobbies and sports were:

Mountaineering/Climbing: This was a passion from age 16, which he pursued rigorously in New Zealand's Southern Alps, the European Alps, and the Himalayas

Tramping/Hiking: An early interest developed through the Radiant Living Tramping Club.

Boxing: He took up boxing as a high school student, which helped him gain confidence against bullies.

Skiing: Learned on a school trip to Mt Ruapehu.​

Gardening: In his later years at his Remuera home, Hillary enjoyed gardening, particularly growing roses.​

SCIENCE AND MATHS Hillary studied mathematics and science at university before dropping out. 

On Everest, he used constant "mental arithmetic" to calculate oxygen flow rates and tank pressures, a critical task that kept him focused. 

His Antarctic expedition (TAE) was part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), contributing to scientific research on the continent.​

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY In his 20s, Hillary and his family joined the "Radiant Living" movement, a philosophy promoting holistic physical, psychological, and spiritual health. He trained as a teacher for the sect, which gave him confidence in public speaking.​

Although raised with Christian ideals, he later described himself as agnostic, tempering his father's beliefs into a "compassionate and optimistic world-view" rather than a religious one.​ (1)

POLITICS Hillary inherited "egalitarian beliefs" from his father. He was known for his refusal to treat people differently based on status, famously preferring the company of Sherpas to dignitaries.​

Hillary's main political involvement was his period as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India, Nepal, and Bangladesh (1985–1988).  He also took part in the 1975 general election as a member of the "Citizens for Rowling" campaign, supporting the Labour Party leader Bill Rowling. 

SCANDAL Hillary caused a major diplomatic and media controversy when he drove his tractors to the South Pole in 1958 ahead of schedule. He had been instructed only to lay supply depots for the British explorer Vivian Fuchs but decided to push on to the Pole, beating Fuchs by 16 days. This was seen by some British officials as an "arrogant" move that upstaged the main expedition.​

MILITARY RECORD Hillary initially registered as a conscientious objector to World War II, a stance influenced by the pacifist tenets of the Radiant Living movement. However, he later joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1943. He served as a navigator on Catalina flying boats in the Pacific, being posted to Fiji and the Solomon Islands.  His service was cut short in 1945 when he was badly burned in a boating accident in the Solomon Islands and was repatriated to New Zealand. 

Hillary in RNZAF uniform at Delta Camp, near Blenheim, New Zealand, during World War II

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS His job as a beekeeper, which involved handling thousands of 90lb boxes of honey, made Hillary extremely physically fit and conditioned for load-carrying. He was naturally strong and possessed greater endurance than many of his companions 

He suffered a severe burn injury during his military service but made a fast recovery (

Hillary had a high physiological tolerance for altitude. However, on later expeditions (such as during his Ganges expedition), he suffered from cerebral edema and altitude sickness, which limited his ability to climb to extreme heights in his later years.​

HOMES  Hillary lived on a farm near Tuakau from 1920 until 1935.

His main home was 278a Remuera Road, Auckland. Built in 1957, this modernist house designed by Gummer & Ford was his home for over 50 years.​

Hillary's holiday home was a bach he built himself at Whites Beach, West Auckland, which was his place of solace,  where he could escape media attention.

He also spent four and a half years based in New Delhi, India, during his diplomatic posting.

TRAVEL Hillary was a global traveler. Beyond his famous expeditions to the Himalayas (Nepal, Tibet) and Antarctica, he traveled extensively throughout India, Europe, and the United States for lecture tours and diplomatic duties. In 1985, he flew to the North Pole with Neil Armstrong.​

DEATH Sir Edmund Hillary died on January 11, 2008, at Auckland City Hospital following a heart attack. He was 88 years old. 

He received a state funeral, and his ashes were scattered in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf according to his wishes.​

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Hillary appeared on What's My Line? (1962) and was the subject of numerous documentaries including The Race for the Pole and Beyond Everest.​ 

His 1953 ascent was captured in the documentary The Conquest of Everest. 

ACHIEVEMENTS First ascent of Mount Everest (1953)

First person to reach both the North and South Poles and Everest

Knighted in 1953

Founder of the Himalayan Trust, which built schools, hospitals, and infrastructure in Nepal

Widely regarded as one of the greatest explorers of the modern era

Sources: (1) Teara (2) Ascent of Everest by John Hunt (3) Ventile (4) Steppes Travel (5) National Geographic (6) Outside