Queen Elizabeth II first set foot in New Zealand when she arrived in Auckland in December 1953. During this visit, she toured both Islands and spent Christmas Day at Government House, where she made her first Christmas Broadcast to the Commonwealth. In this she made special reference to the achievements of Sir Edmund Hillary, referring to the news she had received on the eve of her Coronation of his scaling of Mount Everest.

During her tour, The Queen visited Hillary’s home town, Papakura. Timaru City Council presented her with this tapestry by R.J. Corrie depicting Mount Cook (Aoraki, meaning ‘Cloud-Piercer’, in Māori) on the South Island, which had been used as the training ground for the Everest Expedition.