Mount Everest 70th anniversary encouraged Don Bowden to remember grandfather

Don Bowden with an Erebus rock that was given to his grandfather by Sir Edmund Hillary. Photo / David Haxton

Last month was the 70th anniversary of when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to ascend Mount Everest.

This anniversary, on May 29, brought back memories for Don Bowden, whose grandfather actually met Hillary back in the late 1950s.

Don’s grandfather was Charles Bowden, who had quite a busy career in politics.

Charles was a National Party politician, and represented the Wellington West electorate from 1943 to 1946, before moving on to represent the Karori electorate from 1946 to 1954.

He was also a cabinet minister in the first National Government of New Zealand and was the minister of customs, industries and commerce, and stamp duties.

“He was a busy man,” said Don, who lives in Waikanae.

But it was after his retirement when he was appointed chairman of the Ross Sea Committee to organise New Zealand’s participation in the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, and it was this work that got him on Hillary’s radar.

During one of Hillary’s expeditions to Antarctica in 1957, the New Zealand Geographic Board named a glacier after Charles – the Bowden Glacier.

This wasn’t the only recognition Charles got either – Hillary personally gave him a memento from Antarctica to honour his work on the committee.

It was a paperweight mounted with an Antarctic rock from Mount Erebus, which was presented to Charles by Hillary, who was the leader of the New Zealand Party of the Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

The Erebus rock presented to Charles Bowden by Sir Edmund Hillary. Photo / David Haxton

This wasn’t Charles’ only encounter with Hillary either.

When Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, came to New Zealand as part of their six-week coronation tour, both Charles and Hillary met the prince.

The three were photographed together along with an unknown man sometime in January of 1954, and this photograph is still one of Don’s most precious artefacts.

The framed photograph and the paperweight have been in Don’s family ever since and were handed down to him when his father passed away.

A historic photograph showing Sir Edmund Hillary, left, Charles Bowden, Prince Philip, and an unknown person.

Once the committee had wound up, Charles moved to Paraparaumu Beach with his wife, Judy, where they enjoyed the rest of their retirement.

When he heard on the radio that it had been 70 years since Hillary climbed Everest, Don said it really piqued his interest.

It encouraged him to get all his papers and mementoes out and brought back a lot of memories.

He has lots of fond memories of his grandfather and said he was always diplomatic, a bit old school, and a real gentleman.

“He was a great role model for me.”