Hillary home on the move to new role

Sir Edmund Hillary's family home, built in 1956, will be moved from its garden setting to the college that bears his name at Otara. Photo / Supplied

Sir Edmund Hillary's family home in Remuera will be moved in pieces today to be restored at the school in Manukau which bears his name.

The house, built by the Hillarys in 1956, will be transported from Remuera Rd at 10.30am.

The house was given to Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Otara by Terry Jarvis, who bought the property it was on to extend the garden of his house.

About $400,000 now needs to be raised to reinstate the house for its new life as the Sir Edmund Hillary Leadership Centre, said the school's commissioner Gail Thomson.

Leadership programmes for the decile 1 school's students and the community were being formed with the advice of the community and national figures, including Sir Edmund's mountaineering friend Graeme Dingle.

It was envisaged that it would become a place which students from around New Zealand could visit to learn about Sir Edmund's work and achievements.

A donation has been made towards removal expenses.

The Rotary Club of East Auckland is supporting a fund-raising event on June 12 at which bricks from the house's bottom storey will be sold.

Club spokesman Phil Sheat said two of the bricks fetched $750 each at a Plumbing Industry Trust auction and a truckload of them was available for the Buy a Hillary Brick campaign.

The bottom storey's shell will be rebuilt with the saved fittings and windows and will replicate Sir Edmund's study.

The house will look similar to the way it did during its 50 years with the Hillary family who support the move to the collegiate campus which serves about 1200 people including preschool and a primary, middle and senior school.