New plans to save Sir Ed's house

Pressure is mounting on an Auckland millionaire to donate Sir Edmund Hillary's family home for public use, with two new proposals on the table.

Neighbour Terry Jarvis bought the Remuera house from Sir Ed's family after the Everest conqueror died.

He had intended to demolish it, but there was a public outcry after the Herald on Sunday made his plans public. He then offered to give it to an appropriate organisation so the public could use it.

Proposals to move it to explorer Graham Dingle's Kaipara adventure centre or to Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Manukau have stalled because no one can agree who will pay.

Jarvis, a founder of Sky Television, has now been approached by Australian interests whose identities he refuses to disclose.

But this week retired Tauranga farmer Owen Douglas said his lawyer had written to Jarvis, offering to contribute to the cost of moving it to a $100,000 property on the edge of the Tongariro National Park in the central North Island.

"I want the house to be open to the public down at Ohakune," he said. "It would be a monument to Sir Ed."

And Parnell architect Ken Crosson, of Crosson Clarke Carnachan, is offering to donate his firm's services to ensure the house stays in Auckland, at the Motat museum or somewhere similarly public. "We as a nation are very poor at respecting our heritage, be it architectural or cultural," Crosson said.

"This is a part of our cultural heritage that is very, very important.

"We have recently built a museum to honour Peter Blake and we must do the same to our most important sporting personality, Sir Edmund. "