Sir Edmund Hillary and his New Zealand party reached the South Pole. They were the first to do so overland since Robert Falcon Scott in 1912, and the first to reach it in motor vehicles.
The party set out for the Pole after laying food and fuel depots for the British crossing party of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (TAE). It was an arduous journey – long hours were spent battling through sastrugi (wind-eroded snow ridges), soft snow and dangerous crevasses. The single-minded Hillary went ahead with the journey without the express permission of the TAE, and against the instructions of the committee co-ordinating New Zealand’s contribution.
Read more about Hillary and his party’s journey to the South Pole
Image: Ed Hillary on trans-Antarctic expedition (detail from stamp)
Read more on NZHistory
Arrival at the Pole by tractor – Edmund HillaryFrom Everest to the South Pole – Edmund HillaryAntarctica and New Zealand – Antarctica and New Zealand1958 - key events – The 1950sEdmund Hillary
External links
How to cite this page
'Hillary leads NZ party to South Pole', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/page/hillary-reaches-south-pole, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 19-Feb-2016
