Lowe, (Wallace) George Biography 1991

LOWE, (Wallace) George
OBE [Officer of the Order of the British Empire], Polar Medal, 1958, Coronation Medal, (with inscription “British Everest Expedition 1953”) 1953
Mountaineer, Polar Explorer; Retired Headmaster, Inspector of Schools (UK)
Born Napier 15 January 1924, son of Archibald Lowe and Christina Ness (née Lamberton); married (1) Susan Hunt, daughter of Lord Hunt of Llanfair, 1962 (dissolved 1979); (2) (Ethel) Mary Richards, daughter of George Henry and Mary Marg Richards; 1980; three sons
Education: Hastings West School (now Raureka); Hastings High School; Wellington Teachers Training College, Teachers Certificate 1945
Teacher, Hawke’s Bay schools, 1946-51; climbed Southern Alps same period, met Edmund Hillary; Member: Gawhal Expedition with Hillary, 2 others 1951, British Cho Oyu Expedition with Hillary (Leader, Eric Shrimpton) 1952, British Everest Expedition (Leader Sir John Hunt) 1953, NZ Makalu Expedition (Leader Sir Edmund Hilary) 1954, Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition (Leader, Sir Vivian Fuchs) which completed the first traverse of Antarctica 1955-58 (made movie film of journey), Greenland Expedition (Leader, Sir John Hunt) 1960, Pamir’s Expedition to highest Soviet mountain (Leader, Sir John Hunt) 1962, Ethiopia to climb highest mountain, (Leader, HRA Streather) 1971
Teacher Repton School UK, 1959-63; Spent 10 years Santiago Chile; including Headmaster (Rector), Grange School, Santiago, 1963-73; Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools, UK (Appointed by Queen in Council) with involvement in geography, outdoor education and mountain training 1973-84 (retired); expeditions to Nepal with Sir Edmund Hillary on Himalayan Trust activities, Sherpa aid in Everest District 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991; Royal Geographical Society Cuthbert Peck Award 1959, Honorary Member, Royal Photographic Society 1954; US Film Academy Robert Flaherty Award (documentary section) for film work in Everest film 1954; Member, Council of Royal Geographical Society, 1979-83; Chairman, Mt Everest Foundation, 1985-89; Current Chairman, UK Himalayan Trust
Publications: East of Everest (with Sir Edmund Hillary), 1955; Because It Is There, 1959; From Everest to the South Pole, 1960, various articles for climbing, geographical magazines; filmed high climbing scenes in Ascent of Everest, 1953; filmed Antarctic Crossing, 1955-58
Recreations: gardening, walking, Himalayan trekking
Address: ‘Lowecroft’, Planes Lane, Blackbrook, Belper, Derby, United Kingdom