Speaking with Ed and Helen at their home in Pukerua Bay, it’s exciting to hear Ed’s life-story.
At 86 years of age, Ed talks fondly of his and Helen’s two children and how, from an early age, he’d always thought of living in New Zealand. That dream became a reality they immigrated to New Zealand from the UK in the late 1960s. The journey on-board the ship “Himalaya” took six weeks and took them via South Africa and Australia. Today Ed talks proudly about their two children and four wonderful grandchildren and the life they’ve made in beautiful Aotearoa.
Ed talks about how he and Helen worked together settling in. In his career as a civil engineer Ed was fortunate to have traveled around the country, and overseas, for work. Just like his family, travel has been close to Ed’s heart. During his 34 years with the Ministry of Works and subsequent private derivatives, Ed got to work on many projects like the Ngauranga Motorway bridges, the Cromwell bridge project, and strengthening of the Auckland Harbour bridge, as well as practicing in earthquake engineering.
Ed’s career enabled him to work on some of our country’s most well-known engineering projects, but it’s his early years as a topographical surveyor which are lesser-known.
Speaking humbly, Ed recalls how as a newly qualified civil engineer in the late 1950s, he was given the opportunity to head to the exciting shores of Antarctica!
Setting sail in 1959 on-board the polar ship RRS John Biscoe, at 22 years of age Ed was commissioned by the British Antarctic Survey to be part of a team undertaking topographical survey across areas of the Antarctic Peninsula. His contract was to spend two winters on one of BAS’s bases spread across the peninsula. On his base at Stonington Island there were eleven men and forty husky dogs!
Working in sub-zero temperatures, his team traveled hundreds of miles using husky dogs and tractors to set survey stations on mountain tops so the area could be mapped using aerial photos that had been taken in previous years – a task that took his and following groups more than five years and which included many adventures and unexpected problems.
The work undertaken by Ed’s and other similar teams has helped to make this remote part of the world more accessible today.
Returning to England in the early 1960s, Ed went again back to Antarctica for six weeks in 1967 for further survey work. He shares this story modestly, talking about travelling on dog sledges, in snow tractors and by helicopter and the challenges faced by heavy snow and ice.
Today, Ed reflects about his experience of living with a life-limiting illness. Despite which, he continues to walk on the beach with Helen and their grandchildren every chance he gets.
Ed shares: “I’m not going to stop anything. One year after my diagnosis I’m still here spending time with my family. Lack of energy is the biggest obstacle, but Helen’s support means everything – it’s been life-changing. Sometimes we do need support though and that’s one of the reasons Mary Potter has been such a help.
In addition to the many visits by social workers, nurses and doctors, which have been brilliant, the outpatient Day Unit in Porirua has been an unexpected help to us both too. The people who attend the weekly gatherings are from all backgrounds, but our stories are our common thread, and it’s amazing how easily people connect and support each other. There’s no pressure to go and it offers a break from therapy. I have rarely missed a session and really enjoy going!”
Ed attends Mary Potter Hospice’s Day Unit which operates out of the organisation’s Porirua base and with that in mind, he extends his sincere thanks to everyone who helps make the work of Mary Potter possible.