How the Times scooped Everest triumph

Thousands of New Zealanders have filed solemnly past the casket of Mount Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary as they pay their final respects ahead of his state funeral tomorrow.

Hillary’s body lay in the closed coffin on a catafalque in Auckland’s Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral with four soldiers standing guard, rifles at rest, as ordinary New Zealanders bade farewell to a man regarded as a hero in his country of birth.

Many have expressed disgust that no member of the Royal family has travelled to New Zealand to show their respects. Hillary's greatest achievement has always been closely bound in with the current Queen, after news that he had reached the summit of the world's highest peak was announced on the day of her coronation - June 2, 1953.

Anand Satyanand, the New Zealand Governor General, has instead laid a wreath on behalf of the Queen.

Hillary, 88, died of a heart attack on January 11. The unassuming former beekeeper gained international fame when he and Tenzing Norgay became the first men to climb the 29,035ft summit of Mount Everest, but this was far from the last of his achievements.

One of the 20th century’s greatest adventurers, Hillary later made the first motorised overland trip to the South Pole, led a jet boat expedition from “sea to sky" up the Ganges river in India, and spent more than 40 years doing charity work for the Sherpa people of the Solu Khumbu mountain region in Nepal.

“We are celebrating a very great life,” said Helen Clark, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, as Hillary's flag-draped casket was welcomed to the Cathedral by Auckland's local Ngati Whatua Maori tribe with a traditional haka (war dance). Maori women sang, dressed in traditional black with green willow wreaths on their heads.

Lady June Hillary, his widow, attended with other members of his family,.

About 100 members of New Zealand’s Nepali community placed white silk scarves over one end of the casket as a mark of respect. Representatives of the Indian community lit candles and placed a garland of flowers around a large painting of a young Hillary, sitting near the casket.

At its foot, large blue pillows bore some of Hillary’s honours, including his insignia star as a Knight of the Garter - an elite order headed by the Queen that has only 25 members at any time.

Mourners huddled under umbrellas in wet and windy conditions in lines outside the cathedral. Those filing past the coffin said that they had come to honour Hillary and his achievements.

“He was a great man of the last century. He was ... a towering personality, tall and imposing and impressive,” said Jagpal Kang, 56, an Auckland taxi driver and former Punjabi-born Indian national, recalling the time he saw Hillary in New Delhi in 1989.

“He’s done so much for New Zealand, it was just good to pay our respects,” a young mourner said.“It will be a moment to keep, that we will pass down."

The lying in state was set to continue throughout the night, ahead of the formal state funeral service tomorrow..

Hillary’s casket will be moved from the cathedral to the smaller St. Mary’s Church next door for the funeral, which is set to begin at 11am (2200 GMT today). About 500 invited guests are expected to attend.

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