1
E Ihoā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā;
Āta whakarongona,
Me aroha noa;
Kia hua ko te pai
Kia tau to ata whai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa
1
God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
2
Men of ev'ry creed and race
Gather here before Thy face
Asking Thee to bless this place
God defend our free land
From dissension, envy, hate
And corruption guard our State
Make our country good and great
God defend New Zealand
3
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand
4
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

5
May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary KG, ONZ, KBE (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New
Zealand mountaineer and explorer. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer
Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.
They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt.
Hillary became interested in mountaineering while in secondary school, making his first major
climb in 1939, reaching the summit of Mount Ollivier. He served in the RNZAF as a navigator
during World War II. Before the successful expedition in 1953 to Everest, he had been part of a
reconnaissance expedition to the mountain in 1951 and an unsuccessful attempt to climb Cho
Oyu in 1952. As part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition he reached the South
Pole overland in 1958. He would later also travel to the North Pole.
Following his ascent of Everest he devoted much of his life to helping the Sherpa people of
Nepal through the Himalayan Trust, which he founded. Through his efforts many schools and
hospitals were built in this remote region of Nepal.