Hillary dispute: Museum’s email slams ’screaming’ public
Jacqueline Smith
May 19, 2009
The New Zealand Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sir-edmund-hillary-1919-2008/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501792&objectid=10573072
Auckland Museum will not speak further about the Hillary dispute until it can do so “without getting screamed at by the public”.

Communications chief Russell Briggs yesterday turned down a Herald request for an interview with director Vanda Vitali, saying the museum was “waiting for some of the emotionally charged aspects of this issue to calm down”.

Sir Edmund Hillary’s children are taking legal action in a bid to regain control of his diaries, writings and family photographs.

In his will, Sir Ed bequeathed his personal papers to the museum with the proviso that his children would have access to them as they saw fit.

But Peter and Sarah Hillary have spoken of a breakdown in the family’s relationship with Dr Vitali.

They say the family had not been consulted on the museum’s plans for the memorabilia and were disturbed that the museum intended to claim intellectual property rights.

Prime Minister John Key yesterday confirmed that Government staff were working with the museum and the Hillary family to stop the dispute going to court.

“There is goodwill on both sides and I am hopeful that we can reach a sensible solution and outcome without the need for a court case,” he said.

Peter Hillary did not want to comment last night on the museum’s statement but said he was “somewhat embarrassed, definitely humbled but very grateful nonetheless” that the Prime Minister had stepped in to help the family to resolve the issue.

“I actually do feel quite humbled that the Prime Minister - who is the leader of the nation, who does have far more important things to do - has made available some of his and his staff’s time to try to deal with a situation that, frankly, shouldn’t have gone to this level, and we really appreciate it,” he said.

Over the past few days the Hillarys have been contacted by members of the public, collectors and museum curators showing their support.

“It’s not just the Hillary issue, it’s what it’s representative of, both in terms of what my father represents and in terms of the whole idea of giving to an institution,” Mr Hillary said.

“I mean, would anyone trust giving to an institution? These things need to be very carefully handled so we don’t erode public confidence, basically.”

He said the Government’s involvement would be “an incredible signal” for the museum and New Zealand as a whole.

Museum backs chief over Hillary row
Isaac Davison
May 18, 2009
The New Zealand Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10572936
The Auckland Museum Trust Board has backed its director, Vanda Vitali, in her push for the museum to keep full publishing rights for Sir Edmund Hillary’s papers.

Dr Vitali believes that because Sir Ed left his documents - writings, diaries and family photographs - to the museum, he presumably meant them to be available to “the citizens of Auckland and New Zealand”.

The board said it had carefully reviewed the process of bringing Sir Ed’s papers into the museum and it was “strongly supportive” of Dr Vitali’s stance.

Museum head of communications Russell Briggs said it would be in New Zealanders’ best interests for the matter to go to court, because it would bring clarity to the issue.

Peter and Sarah Hillary are going to the High Court in a bid to keep control of writings, diaries and family photographs their father left to the museum in his will.

Their legal action, to be heard on June 24, names the executors of their father’s estate as defendants, but the dispute is with the museum over the interpretation of a clause in the will.

Peter Hillary rubbished the board’s backing of Dr Vitali, saying she was muddying a very simple matter and denying the family its intellectual property “while smiling all the way”.

“Anyone who met my father knows that he was a straight talker. He didn’t use any fancy footwork or flowery language. This is a very clear-cut matter.”

He said the dispute had been “exceedingly traumatic” for the family.

“This is a large institution which has full-time lawyers. We have families, and businesses to run, as well as this museum situation.

“We would very much like a resolution before it reaches court.”

He said the papers were of crucial importance to the family because of their interest in publishing. “I wrote a book together with my father, and have published many more. Sarah has written books too.” He said the museum should be embarrassed that Prime Minister John Key had felt compelled to try to resolve the dispute.

Mr Briggs said the board members hoped to discuss their stance with Mr Key and had contacted him to arrange a meeting.

Dr Vitali has described the museum as the victim in the dispute, and said it intended to honour Sir Ed’s request to allow his family access to the documents.

A former climbing companion of Sir Ed’s, Mike Gill, who knew him for more than 45 years, told the Herald the museum was completely misreading the will.

“He meant what he said. He wanted his two surviving children, Peter and Sarah Hillary, to have control of how his papers were used for a period of 20 years after his death.”