Sir Hillary's House To Be Open For Public Use

By Cara

Monday, April 19, 2010, 11:44

Sir Edmund Hillary's neighbour, Terry Jarvis who bought the Remuera house from Sir Edmund's family, after his death, is now under pressure to donate the house for public use.

The Aukland Millionaire, intended to demolish it, but there was a public outcry after the Herald on Sunday made his plans public.

Jarvis then offered to give it to an appropriate organisation so public could use it. He has two offers on his table now.

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.

Australian interests whose identities he refuses to disclose have now approached Jarvis for the house.

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-dollar 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."