Sir Edmund Hillary in March 2006. Photo / Greg Bowker

Sir Edmund Hillary in March 2006. Photo / Greg Bowker

18:15 British High Commissioner in Wellington George Fergusson says: "Sir Edmund Hillary was the quintessential hero to people in Britain as well as New Zealand, of my generation and since.

"The determination and skill which propelled him to fame both in the Himalayas and Antarctica, were perhaps outweighed in the end by the qualities of modesty and integrity, which many around the world see in New Zealanders more generally."

Australian adventurer and philanthropist Dick Smith says: "To me he was the greatest adventurer of the 20th Century ... Where Ed is different is that his whole life was completely devoted to the people of the Himalayas. He was the bloke who inspired us all."

Australia's top high altitude mountaineer Andrew Lock says: "It was ground-breaking stuff, trying to find out if the human body could even survive those altitudes in those days. He was just the sort of climber that all other climbers looked up to as the absolute pinnacle of appropriate and ethical climbing."

Federated Farmers Bees chairman John Hartnell says: "Beekeepers have always been proud to count Sir Edmund Hillary as one of their own."

Bhoomi Lama of the Nepal Mountaineering Association in Kathmandu says: "He was a hero and a leader for us. He did a lot for the people of the Everest region and will always remain in our hearts."

Federated Mountain Clubs president Brian Stephensonsays : "Sir Edmund took New Zealand mountaineering to the world, then followed with an extraordinary range of other achievements, which took New Zealand itself to the world.

"In every field he excelled, whether as a benefactor, Sherpa builder, or as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India, throughout his distinguished life he remained modest and approachable."

15:45 Mark Sainsbury makes a statement on behalf of the family. He confirms they have taken up offer of a state funeral.

Several family members including Sir Edmund's son Peter are overseas so a date for the funeral had not been set, he says.

15:43 Former prime minister Mike Moore says Sir Edmund's death leaves "an irreplaceable hole in the heart of New Zealanders".

"Sir Ed did more than climb Everest, he leveraged that achievement to do much good for others...

"He was an Everest-type figure, he has no equals, all others are molehills."