A mini Mount Everest of snow will be dumped at the Auckland home of Sir Edmund Hillary to celebrate his birth centenary on Saturday.
The house that Ed built is now a leadership centre, and place of heritage, at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Otara, after being moved from Remuera following his death in 2008.
Chair of the Hillary House Leadership Centre Trust, Robin Houlker, says it will be an experience of hands on in the snow.
“We think Sir Ed would have been here with his boots on, sharing the experience of cold snow with young people and their families” she says.
“The Trust is offering this outside experience with snow from Snow Planet in the morning, followed by a new exhibition, Sir Ed’s Antarctica, in the afternoon inside Hillary House.”
In 1958 Sir Ed was a member of the first expedition to reach the South Pole over land and this exhibition on four jumbo size photo storyboards tracks his contribution to our knowledge of Antarctica.
Noted New Zealand photographer, Jane Ussher, will be at Hillary House during the afternoon to share her photos from the recent book, Hillary’s Antarctica.
Shaun Higgins, curator from Tamaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, has assisted with the displays and will also be at the House to answer questions people may have.
“We hope our special event on Sir Ed’s birthday will bring children and whanau here to learn more of his adventures and legacy of service” Robin Houlker says.
Saturday July 20 Mini Mt Everest experience at Hillary House: 9am-12pm Open Home and Sir Ed’s Antarctica exhibition in Hillary House: 2pm-5pm
