Public to get say on Hillary Ridge

Aoraki Mt Cook. Photo / Simon Baker

New Zealanders can now have their say on whether the South Ridge of Aoraki Mount Cook should be renamed as "Hillary Ridge", in honour of the late Sir Edmund Hillary.

The Geographic Board today opened a three month-public consultation on the proposal, as well as 55 other proposals to alter New Zealand place names.

South Ridge would be the first alpine landmark to be named after our most famous mountaineer who, with Harry Ayres, Mick Sullivan and Ruth Adams, made the first ascent of the ridge in 1948.

Other proposals opened for consultation today included changing 22 Porirua suburb and locality names, and giving Wellington features dual Maori/English names.

Miramar Peninsula is proposed to be renamed Te Motu Kairangi / Miramar Peninsula; Hutt River is proposed to be renamed Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River, while an unnamed ridge from Mount Crawford to Seatoun Heights is proposed to be named Te Whetu Kairangi Ridge.

The family of Sir Ed have said they are delighted with the plan, and that he would have considered it a "great honour".

But not all agree with the plan, with New Zealand Alpine Club member Peter Cammell telling One News yesterday that there were naming conventions and customs in how mountains were named, and that other climbers in the first ascent deserved recognition also.

A hut or trail would be better, he said.

Sir Ed, who died in January 2008 at the age of 88, and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953.

Submissions on the proposals can be made in writing to the Secretary for the New Zealand Geographic Board or via the LINZ website.

The board will consider all submissions at its next meeting in March or April next year.

- NZPA