Sir Edmund Hillary

Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland on July 20, 1919.  It was on a school trip to Mt Ruapehu that he discovered a love for the mountains that never left him.  He became one of the greatest explorers and mountaineers of the 20th century.

Books written by Edmund Hillary

• From the ocean to the sky
• East of Everest 
• High adventure
• High in the thin cold air
• No lattitude for error
• Nothing venture, nothing win
• Schoolhouse in the clouds 
• Two generations
• The view from the summit

Resources for kids

We also have a collection of children's material available.

• Triumph on Everest: a photobiography of Sir Edmund Hillary 
• Mount Everest and beyond
• Reaching the summit: Sir Edmund Hillary's story
• Great New Zealand adventurers
• Hillary and Norgay: to the top of Mount Everest
• I wish I'd stood on Everest with Hillary and Norgay

Multimedia content

The library also has information about Edmund Hillary in the DVD and video collection.

• Surviving Everest
• A view from the top
• The conquest of Everest

Special Collections (2nd floor, Central Library)

Special Collections has a letter written by Sir Edmund Hillary to the Mayor of Auckland on 30 June, 1953 shortly after his conquest of Everest.

The air letter thanks Sir John Allum for his congratulatory cable. Writing from New Delhi, Sir Edmund tells Sir John his cable was amongst the first to arrive on our trek out from Namche Bazar "and it gave not only myself but all members of the Expedition considerable pleasure".

"Since our arrival back in India we have been almost overwhelmed by the enthusiastic reaction to our success. We leave Delhi for England tomorrow night and after a short stay there I am looking forward very much to returning home to New Zealand and hope to be able to express my appreciation of your congratulations in person."

Reference: Special Collections, NZMS 4-43.