Sir Ed’s SECRET LETTER
Handwritten note from Everest base camp being auctioned
A letter has emerged from Sir Edmund Hillary, outlining his final wishes if he were to fail to return from Everest
It was penned at Base Camp days before the ascent — but is now going up for auction, sparking fears it could fall into the hands of a foreign collector
The Hillary family is resigned to its loss as Sir Ed’s nephew is in financial difficulty
Experts say it is a national taonga and are urging a museum to buy it to stop it disappearing from NZ
Sir Edmund Hillary outlined his final wishes to family back in New Zealand just days before attempting to become the first person up the world’s tallest mountain, a remarkable forgotten letter has revealed.
Sixty-six years after Hillary, along with Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, conquered Mt Everest, a letter home from a highaltitude base camp has surfaced publicly for the first time.
As preparations for the daring expedition’s final push ramped up in the shadow of the daunting 8848m rock behemoth, the pragmatic Auckland beekeeper seems to have accepted he could die trying.
“We have a tremendous task in front of us,” he writes to brother Rex Hillary on May 20, 1953, from Camp IV Advanced Base — nine days before reaching the summit and becoming one of the world’s most famous men.
“Our oxygen gear is still pretty experimental, so remember in the unfortunate business of anything going wrong that my two main wishes are that Mother should be looked after and secondly that my Himalayan gear should go to the NZAC [New Zealand Alpine Club] for their use.
“Sounds morbid, I know but I expect I’ll still be demareeing [beehive swarm prevention method] next November despite it all.”
The handwritten document, in which an otherwise confident Hillary expressed an admiration for his fellow climbers, is now being sold by nephew John Hillary.
It is expected to generate national and worldwide interest when it goes to auction this month.
Auctioneer Andrew Grigg of Cordy’s Auctioneers in Remuera said it’s “part of our taonga” and urged museums to consider picking it up at the February 26 sale.
“It gives amazing insight into one of our most famous New Zealanders.”
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage monitors domestic auctions and has strict rules about historical New Zealand objects leaving the country.
John Hillary agonised over the decision to sell the letter, along with other letters and postcards, and a rock fragment his famous uncle collected from Everest’s summit and later made into a Nepalese pendant. It’s estimated they could fetch up to $60,000.
“It’s not something I really wanted to do,” said the 70-year-old.
“My preference would be that they would be available to the public . . . but I can’t determine that, because I’ve put them in the auction, and that’s it. Whether it’s the right or wrong thing to do . . . it’s a done thing now.
“If I would have one piece of advice for young people in this country, it would be to get something going as soon as you can for your retirement, because the pension just doesn’t cut the mustard.”
Lady June Hillary — Sir Ed’s second wife — donated rock shards collected atop Everest, along with other artefacts, to Otago Museum in 2010.
A bitter family feud erupted around the same time when Lady June tried to sell some of Sir Edmund’s watches — including one he wore on a South Pole expedition — at auction in Switzerland.
Sir Edmund’s children, Peter and Sarah Hillary claimed the watches belonged to them and should not have left the country.
They successfully blocked the sale through a High Court injunction.
Peter Hillary was in Japan yesterday. His wife Yvonne Oomen said Peter was aware of the auction and was supportive of John.
“It’s unfortunate he has to [sell the items] but we understand these things,” she said.
John was almost 5 when his beloved Uncle Ed scaled Everest.
John recalls a fun-loving and amiable uncle who always had time for his nephew.
“He was a great uncle. I loved him very much,” he said.