Newspaper Article 2004 – Highest honour

Highest honour

Hawke’s Bay’s greatest adventurer, George Lowe (pictured, right), was yesterday granted the symbolic “Freedom of the City” honour by Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule (left).

The award was presented in sculpture form, depicting the first climbing of Mt Everest in 1953.

Mr Lowe is Hawke’s Bay’s link to the great ascent. He was only 800 feet (240 metres) below Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing and cut the final ice steps into the mountain.

Mr Lowe, 80, was back in town as a guest speaker at the combined Hastings high schools’ centenary.

Though he is most well-known for his part in the Everest conquest, Mr Lowe was also part of the first crossing of the Antarctic and has worked in education and conservation.

He has lived in England with his wife Mary for many years, though they try to visit New Zealand regularly.
“Freedom of the City” is the highest civic honour and is rarely granted.

Mr Lowe joins Olympic rowing twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell in sharing the Hastings honour.

HB TODAY PICTURE
SARAH BICKNELL