Peter Hillary was born in 1954, Sarah in 1956, and Belinda in 1959. During those years, Sir Edmund Hillary published his first book High Adventure; led a New Zealand Alpine Club Expedition to the Barun Valley east of Everest; built a new house; made a first ascent of Mount Magellan in the Southern Alps; continued beekeeping with his brother Rex and led the New Zealand contingent of The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic expedition to the South Pole by farm tractor.

Louise was the centre of our family. She had made it clear to me that she accepted me as a climber. After Everest Louise was responsible for the happiest and most productive period of my middle years.

Sir Edmund Hillary