SCOTT BASE, Antarctica -A new institute has been founded in the name of Sir Edmund Hillary that will give a $1 million leadership award to inspirational people.
The Hillary Institute, which will have Prime Minister Helen Clark as its patron, was announced today.
The institute would make a
$1m award every four years, called the Hillary Step.
Sir Edmund has climbed Mt Everest and in 1957/58 led a team overland to the South Pole from McMurdo Sound in the Ross Sea.
The Hillary Step is aimed at recognising someone who has already displayed outstanding leadership but who was still in mid-career.
The first award would be made in 2011.
Jan Cameron, who used to own the outdoor clothing store Kathmandu, is the institute's first capital fund donor.
The announcement was made today at Scott Base, where Sir Edmund and the prime minister have been staying, while there for the 50th commemorations for the base.
There has been another Hillary Step in operation at Scott Base in the past few days.
Sir Edmund is a bit shaky on his feet and Antarctica New Zealand staff have been anxious to make sure he did not fall over.
Staff at Scott Base built wooden steps, which they called the Hillary Step, which staff on the base signed.
Hillary climbed Mt Everest after negotiating a steep and tricky piece of terrain which later became known as the Hillary Step.
Yesterday Miss Clark and James Blake, the son of the late New Zealand adventurer and yachtsman Sir Peter Blake, launched a partnership between Antarctica New Zealand and the Sir Peter Blake Trust for a new Antarctic Youth Ambassador.
The aim of this was to engage young New Zealanders in Antarctic environmental issues.
Miss Clark has also said she might build a statue of Sir Edmund to be erected at Scott Base.
One day there should be a statue of Sir Ed, she said.
"He has a very distinctive profile and looking at him...yesterday you could sort of envisage his sculpture there so that could be a project for the future."
- NZPA
