There are very few people who have worked in Antarctica, but even fewer have had a mountain there named after them. One Kāpiti man had that rare honour.
In 1957 Randal Heke, who died recently at the age of 95, was given the responsibility for overseeing the construction of ScottBase in Antarctica.
A New Zealand base was required to support the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (TAE) which was to be led by Sir Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary.
The aim of the TAE was to complete the first overland crossing of the Antarctic Continent from the Weddell Sea to McMurdo Sound.
After packing the pre-fabricated building materials required for the six huts on to the NZ naval ship HMS Endeavour, the expedition members left Wellington in December 1956.
They spent Christmas Day on board but the weather and sea conditions were so rough, and the non-sailors so seasick, that festivities were delayed until they arrived at Ross Island.
Many years later Heke reflected on the unique challenges he and his six fellow builders were faced with when building Scott Base.
A photo of Randal Heke, left, and Sir Edmund Hillary taken in Antarctica in 1957.
“As we travelled into McMurdo Sound … the Endeavour got trapped in the thick ice. It became necessary to radio for assistance from the powerful American icebreaker, the Glacier. It was somewhat embarrassing to hear and see the cheers and finger-pointing of the American sailors as the icebreaker broke us free … Once on Ross Island the construction team and I erected eight alpine tents for the team to sleep in while the base buildings were erected. The ground was extremely hard, known as permafrost, rock that had frozen solid, and to excavate holes for the foundations was extremely difficult and time consuming … There was continuous daylight and it was sometimes difficult to judge the time and not work beyond the 10 or 11 hours we worked most days … Hut A (now known as Hillary’s Hut) contained the kitchen, dining room, recreation area and Ed Hillary’s office and sleeping quarters. This was the first building erected and with favourable weather we made rapid progress in laying the foundations and erecting the floor and walls. Once Hut A was erected it was noticeable how quickly the crates of beer moved inside, for there was great concern the bottles of beer would freeze and we all know what that result would be. … I am proud to have been involved with and leader of the building of Scott Base, and just as thrilled to have been made a life member of the NZ Antarctic Society and to have a mountain named after me — Heke Peak.” (1)
Heke was only 28 years old at the time, and he continued to be responsible for overseeing major building construction in New Zealand and the Pacific for much of his working life.
In 1960 he went to Apia in Western Samoa to build the NZ High Commission, in preparation for that country’s independence in 1963. When he returned to New Zealand, Heke was put in charge of the construction of Canterbury University in Ilam.
In the late 1960s he became Chief Building Officer for the Ministry of Works, and his last career step was Inspector of Overseas Posts for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As his daughter, Angela Lowe, said at Heke’s recent funeral, his career and contribution to the Antarctic and the Pacific were his lifelong passions and driving forces. In 2018 he was awarded the prestigious New Zealand Antarctic Medal in recognition of his contribution to that region.
After living with his family in Christchurch, Wellington and Lower Hutt, Randal eventually moved to Waikanae at the beginning of the millennium. He loved the community and was involved in many aspects of life on the Kāpiti Coast, including golf, gardening, the Baptist Church, Rotary, U3A, walking groups, as well as the Antarctic Society.
At his funeral, Randal’s two children, Angela and her brother, Adrian, paid tribute to their father, highlighting what an adventurous life he had experienced and how much he had seen — “I think he was surprised at how his life had turned out.”
(1) As quoted by Sarah Wood: Straight Up magazine: The Life and Series of a Retired Builder and Ex Clerk of Works (2018)
