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There are still no plans for a statue or similar lasting memorial to Sir Edmund Hillary a year on from his death.
Sir Edmund's family are said to be happy with a set of "living memorials" such as the Hillary Shield for All Blacks-England rugby matches. A spokesman for Prime Minister John Key said the Hillary family agreed to the memorials after considerable consultation with the previous Government, and there was no intention to take any further action.
The memorials are the rugby shield; a recreation council bearing Sir Ed's name set up in Sport and Recreation NZ and focusing on youth; his name added to the Duke of Edinburgh Award for young New Zealanders; a funding boost to his Himalayan trust; and a Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship providing for an Indian or Nepali to visit New Zealand each year.
Soon after his death, there were calls for grand gestures such as creating a new public holiday in his name or naming a mountain after him. But Sir Ed was said to have been dismissive of formal memorials, preferring something that ensured his charitable work and outdoor recreation legacy lived on.
Despite the Hillary family's satisfaction with the measures taken, there remain calls for something lasting, with Auckland city councillor Greg McKeown calling for a Sir Edmund Hillary Convention Centre on the waterfront. Today's Weekend Herald editorial calls for twin memorials, one on Mt Hobson near his Remuera home and the other on Mt Cook or Mt Ollivier.
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark said it would be disappointing if there was an "unseemly" debate about how to remember Sir Ed, as seen with the Sir Peter Blake memorial. She said Sir Ed was hugely honoured in his lifetime, had a state funeral and memorial service from the Queen, as well as the memorials agreed to by the family.
"I felt the family was happy with that. They didn't want memorials, they didn't want mountains named after him, they wanted things that fitted with his life and ... causes."
