Kia ora,
Back in this term, our first thing to do was write an explanation writing about Sir Edmund Hillary including questions like ‘What did he did before he became famous?’ or ‘What he did after he became famous’. We have until tomorrow Friday because we started on Monday.
WE had to research about him because our school was named after him but it was firstly named ‘Papakura East School’ and it was just renamed in 1964, interesting right? Here is my piece of writing about Sir Edmund Hillary.
Sir Edmund Hillary
Before He Became Famous:
Sir Edmund Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. He was born on 20 July 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand, and grew up in a small town called Tūākau. When he was younger, he was quite shy, but he became interested in climbing mountains when he went on a school trip to Mount Ruapehu at around 16 years old.
Before becoming famous, Hillary worked as a beekeeper with his father Percival and brother Rex. During the summer, they looked after bees and collected honey. However, he also spent a lot of his free time climbing mountains and improving his skills.
During World War II, Hillary joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1944. After the war, he continued climbing and went on different mountain expeditions. These experiences helped him become a stronger and more experienced climber, which prepared him for his biggest challenge: climbing Mount Everest.
During His Famous Climb:
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, standing about 8,849 meters above sea level. It is located in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and China. At that time, many climbers had tried to reach the summit, but no one had successfully reached the top and returned with confirmed evidence.
In 1953, Edmund Hillary joined a British expedition led by John Hunt. The expedition included many climbers and support team members, including Sherpa climbers who played an important role in helping the team travel through the mountains.
On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest together. They became the first people confirmed to have successfully reached the top of the mountain. This was a major achievement because climbing Everest was extremely difficult due to the freezing temperatures, strong winds, thin air and dangerous conditions.
They spent about 15 minutes on top of the summit, Hillary took a photo of his ice-axe, but there is no photo of Sir Edmund Hillary. Tenzing’s autobiography says that Hillary simply refused to have his picture taken.
Their achievement made headlines around the world. Hillary became internationally famous, and he was later knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. People admired him for his determination, courage and hard work.
After He Became Famous:
After climbing Mount Everest, Hillary did not stop exploring. He continued going on expeditions and took part in an expedition to Antarctica. In 1958, he helped lead a team that travelled overland to the South Pole using specially modified tractors.
However, Hillary became known for more than just climbing mountains. He wanted to help the people of Nepal, especially the Sherpa communities who had helped him during his expeditions.
In 1960, he helped establish the Himalayan Trust, an organization that supported communities in Nepal. The trust helped build schools, hospitals, bridges and other important facilities. Hillary spent many years supporting these projects and improving people’s lives.
Later in life, he remained a well-known and respected person in New Zealand and around the world. He died in Auckland on 11 January 2008, at the age of 88. Even today, he is remembered for his achievements in mountaineering and his work helping others. His face also appears on New Zealand’s five dollar note.
What he did after:
His biggest reputation was after his historic climb in 1953, he was grateful for the communities that helped him climb; he dedicated nearly 50 years of his life to building schools, hospitals, bridges and an airport for the Sherpa people in Nepal. Adjacent to this charity work, his interest for adventure never stopped. He led a team on modified farm tractors to the South Pole, flew to the North Pole with astronaut Neil Armstrong and drove jetboats all the way up the Ganges river. Later in life, he used his global respect and status to serve as New Zealand’s official ambassador to India and Nepal, putting his place as one of the country’s greatest citizens.
New Zealand Five Dollar Note
Mountains Sir Edmund Hillary Climbed:
Sir Edmund Hillary climbed many mountains throughout his life. He started climbing in New Zealand before joining expeditions in the Himalayas. Here are some of the important mountains he climbed or attempted to climb!
- Mount Ollivier: New Zealand around 1939 – 1940
- It was his first major mountain climb.
- This experience helped him develop his interest in mountaineering.
- Aoraki / Mount cook – New Zealand 1947
- Aoraki / Mount cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand.
- Hillary climbed it in 1948.
- This achievement helped him become a more experienced mountaineer.
- Mount Tasman: New Zealand 1948
- Mount Tasman is another major mountain in New Zealand’s Southern Alps.
- Hillary climbed it during his early mountaineering years.
- Climbing challenging mountains in New Zealand helped prepare him for the expeditions overseas.
The 5 W’s and 1 H
Who?
Sir Edmund Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer who became famous for reaching the summit of Mount Everest with Tenzing Norgay.
What?
He helped make history by becoming one of the first two people confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. He also explored Antarctica and helped communities in Nepal.
When?
He was born on 20 July 1919. He reached the summit of Mount Everest on 29 May 1953 and died on 11 January 2008
Where?
He was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He climbed Mount Everest in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and China, and later travelled to Antarctica.
Why? He wanted to challenge himself, explore mountains and help others. After becoming famous, he used his time and resources to support people living in Nepal.
How?
He became a successful climber by practising, gaining experience and taking part in mountain expeditions. He reached Everest’s summit with Tenzing Norgay as part of the 1953 British expedition. Later, he helped others by supporting schools, hospitals and other projects in Nepal.
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