On Friday 21st August the Welcome Swallow Gallery is hosting a very special private function that marks the completion of the Sir Edmund Hillary Centenary year 2019-2020. A portrait of June, Lady Hillary by gallery artist Rebecca Dowman-Ngapo will be unveiled in the gallery in the presence of Lady June and a hundred invited guests. After being on display at the Welcome Swallow Gallery until 1st October 2020, the portrait that has been gifted to the Auckland Museum will be relocated where it will enter the national archive as part of the Hillary collection.

Chair of the New Zealand Hillary Centenary Steering Committee and Welcome Swallow Trustee, Professor Clive Gilson sees this occasion as an important part of the Gallery’s contribution to both history and art.

“Sir Edmund Hillary’s life left an enormous legacy for New Zealand. His wife, June, Lady Hillary visited Antarctica three times; took groups of women to Nepal to trek through the Himalayas and through the work of the Himalayan Trust in New Zealand spent many years working on raising funds for Nepal. When Sir Ed was the High Commissioner to India she also ran many of the committees that underpinned the work of the commission. Lady June is a formidable figure across the New Zealand landscape, so this portrait is a significant contribution to capturing her importance to the nation”.

From Saturday 22nd August visitors to the gallery will be able to see the portrait before it is relocated to the Auckland Museum.