___ 11 January 2008

Passing of Sir Edmund Hillary

Mayor of Manukau Len Brown has offered his condolences to the family of Sir Edmund Hillary, following his death today, aged 88. “Sir Edmund was an inspiration to us all,” says Mr Brown.

“Although he was well known on the international stage, he was a son of New Zealand and embodied many of the traits that we as New Zealanders cherish – he was brave, determined, rugged, and humble.” Mr Brown acknowledged the feats of Sir Edmund, particularly the conquering of Mt Everest in 1953, and establishing Scott Base in Antarctica and leading the first vehicles overland to the South Pole in 1957. Mr Brown also acknowledged his years of public service for New Zealand and his ties with the people of Nepal.

“Sir Edmund was a person of great integrity. He never lost sight of his roots and always said he wanted to be thought of as an “ordinary bloke”. He was however anything but ‘ordinary’. “On behalf of the Manukau City Council I extend my deepest condolences to Lady Hillary and the Hillary family.”

ENDS

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