Sir Edmund Hillary

While of course it was sad to hear of the death of someone who was still a hero to those of us brought up in the 70s many years after his Himalayan feats, it is quite something to be living in his home country. It is not an exaggeration to say that he was the national icon, the world's best known New Zealander and personified the Kiwi self-image. He was even given the rare honour of being depicted on a banknote while alive.