‘Until now too little serious work has been published on the career and times of Harold Holt, as the circumstances of his death came to overshadow the achievements of his life.'
(The Hon. Peter Costello MP)

The first full-length biography on Australia's enigmatic Prime Minister, Harold Holt, will be launched by the Federal Treasurer, the Hon. Peter Costello MP on Friday 12 August at 11am in the Malvern Town Hall, Melbourne.

The Life and Death of Harold Holt , written by the Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force, Dr Tom Frame, assesses Holt's 22-month prime ministership and examines the theories and rumours that still circulate regarding his disappearance off Victoria's Cheviot beach just before Christmas 1967.

A charismatic man, Holt was the first prime minister to employ a speechwriter. Though only in the top job for a short time, Holt and his government made some important decisions. More troops were sent to fight in Vietnam, showing that Holt's famous phrase ‘All the way with LBJ' was indeed a sincere promise. The White Australia Policy was dismantled, child endowment was introduced, and a referendum was passed to count Aboriginal people in the census and to allow federal parliament to make laws that included them.

Dr Frame's 17 th book is published by Allen & Unwin in association with the National Archives of Australia. His previous books include the best-selling naval histories Where Fate Calls: The HMAS Voyager Tragedy and HMAS Sydney: Loss and Controversy.

Director-General of the National Archives Ross Gibbs says the Archives is particularly pleased that the Federal Treasurer (who also wrote the foreword) is able to launch the book on Holt, given the parallels in their respective political careers.

‘Both were the Member for Higgins, Treasurer, and deputy leader to long-serving prime ministers,' Mr Gibbs said. ‘And today [12 August] is the 70 th anniversary of the week Holt entered Parliament.'

Holt's briefcase and its contents on the day he disappeared will be on display at the National Archives' North Melbourne office at 99 Shiel Street on Friday 12 August between midday and 2pm. The eclectic array of items includes a paper about author Morris West and the Liberal Reform Group, a Henri Wintermans cigar, transistor earpiece, and a Victorian Amateur Turf Club Member's Car Pass.

The Life and Death of Harold Holt will be available at the launch for $35.00.