Harold Edward Holt

Harold Edward Holt
NAA: A1200, L59270

Harold Holt was Australia's 17th prime minister, from 26 January 1966 to 19 December 1967. He became the third Australian prime minister to die in office when he drowned off the coast of Victoria at Portsea.

Harold Holt was a federal parliamentarian for 32 years. He held the seat of Fawkner from August 1935 to December 1949 and the seat of Higgins for the Liberal Party from February 1949 to December 1967. He sat on government benches for most of his parliamentary career and first became a minister in 1939 when he was only 30 years of age.

What's in the National Archives on Harold Edward Holt?

Personal records of Holt
Holt before his term as Prime Minister
Holt during his term as Prime Minister
Memorials and condolences concerning Holt
Zara Holt
Significant subjects for Holt-related research
Photographs/multimedia
Relevant research guides
Research databases

The tables below list a sample of the Archives' records about Holt.

Personal records of Holt

People in prominent positions often have significant personal collections of records, as well as creating records in the institutions in which they work. These personal collections are usually a mixture of official and private material and may span a number of different positions. The National Archives collects personal records from Governors-General, Prime Ministers, ministers and some judges. For more information, see Commonwealth persons.

The National Archives holds a significant collection of Harold Holt's personal records. It includes the briefcase that Holt had with him the day he disappeared, along with its contents.

Collection references

Brown leather briefcase with metal clasp and initials 'H E H' on closing flap, 1967	1967	M4298, 1
Minutes and papers of the committees organising the Melbourne Olympics, 1956, 1950–57	1950–57	M946
Correspondence of Prime Minister HE Holt concerning foreign affairs, 1966–67	1966–67	A7854
Correspondence maintained by HE Holt as Prime Minister, 1929–68	1929–68	M2684
Speeches and related papers of HE Holt as Prime Minister, 1967	1967	M4249

Holt before his term as Prime Minister

Holt held the portfolios of

Labour and National Service (1940–41)
Minister in charge of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (1940–41)
Immigration (1949–56)
Labour and National Service (1949–58)
Treasury (1958–66)

Collection references

Correspondence of the Department of the Army concerning HE Holt, 1940–41	1940–41	MP508/1, 251/858/89
Visit to New Guinea of Harrison, Fadden and HE Holt, 1941	1941	A518, AL836/3
Overseas visit of the Treasurer and R Wilson, 1965	1965	A571,1964/3067
Speech notes, correspondence, photographs, menu, guest list and so on for the dinner to celebrate HE Holt's silver anniversary as a member of parliament, 1961	1961	M2606, 1
'What immigration means to Australia' – report to parliament by the Minister for Immigration, HE Holt, 1956	1956	MP598/54, 1

Holt during his term as Prime Minister

Holt's prime ministership was short (26 January 1966 to 19 December 1967). But Holt oversaw wide-reaching changes in Australian society. During his government the 'White Australia' policy – which had structured immigration policy since Federation – was relaxed. In May 1967 the referendum passed that removed two clauses in the Australian Constitution that were discriminatory against Aboriginal people. Also during Holt's term of office, Australia converted to decimal currency and the British Empire became the Commonwealth. Holt's friendship with US President Lyndon Baines Johnson and his support for Australian participation in the Vietnam War were a focus of anti-war protest.

Collection references

Visit to Australia of the US President – arrangements for HE and Zara Holt, 1966	1966	A463, 1966/4483
Correspondence between Prime Minister RG Menzies and UK and NZ politicians on aircraft for airlines and the Australian air force, 1958–66	1958–66	A6706, 2
Exhibits tendered before the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia during the 1950s and 1960s, 1954–85	1954–85	A6455
Annexure to report of Atomic Weapons Safety Committee (July 1967) to the Prime Minister, 1984	1984	A6455, SA2
Visit to South-East Asia of HE Holt, 1966–67	1966–67	A1209, 1966/7112
Original manuscript of the report on the disappearance of the HE Holt, 1968	1968	A1209, 1968/8570

Memorials and condolences concerning Holt

Harold Holt died in office on 17 December 1967. He disappeared while swimming off the coast of Victoria at Portsea and was pronounced dead by drowning. Heads of government attended memorial services in Melbourne, London, New York and Washington.

Collection references

Death of HE Holt – condolences from heads of state, prime ministers and diplomats, 1967–68	1967–68	A463, 1968/1195 Part 3
Audio tape of LB Johnson's arrival in Canberra for HE Holt's funeral, 1967	1967	C102, Poo134
Indian mystic's claim to know the whereabouts of HE Holt's body, 1968	1968	A1209, 1968/8146
Renaming of North West Cape communications station to commemorate HE Holt, 1967–68	1967–68	A1209, 1968/8179
Zara Holt, 'My life and Harry', 1968–69	1968–69	A1336, 71778

Zara Holt

Zara Kate Dickens married Harold Holt in 1946. She was a co-owner of a fashion boutique called 'Magg' in Melbourne's wealthy suburb of Toorak. During her tenure in The Lodge, she undertook extensive renovation, redecoration and refurbishment. Zara Holt also accompanied her husband on official overseas trips. She recorded detailed accounts of these trips in diaries that are among the Holt personal papers. She was awarded a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1968.

Collection references

Press cuttings relating to HE Holt's early public life, including articles on his marriage to Zara Fell, 1926–46	1926–46	A1728, 1
Matters raised by Zara Holt, c1967	c1967	A1209, 1967/7146
Facilities for Zara Holt, 1967–68	1967–68	A1209, 1968/8003
Condolences on the death of HE Holt, and a letter from Norodom Sihanouk to Zara Holt congratulating her on being created a dame, 1967–68	1967–68	M2655, 98
Personal papers of Zara Holt, 1949–89	1949–89	M4296

Significant subjects for Holt-related research

Important issues during Holt's prime ministership include:

Vietnam War
dismantling of the 'White Australia' policy
referendum to change the Constitution where it discriminated against Aboriginal people
Australian relationships with Asia and the United States
decimal currency

Collection references

Opposition to government's participation in the Vietnam War, 1967–70	1967–70	A5619, C411
Publicity film of a talk by HE Holt on decimal currency, 1965–66	1965–66	C2927, 48
Policy on immigration of non-Europeans, 1956–71	1956–71	A5619, C211
Review of the Department of Immigration policy on the admission of non-Europeans into Australia, 1964–67	1964–67	A452, 1964/2912
Commonwealth/state policy consequences of the referendum on Aborigines, 1967–68	1967–68	A1209, 1967/7512

Photographic and multimedia records relating to Holt

Collection references

Photograph of HE and Zara Holt at Portsea, Victoria, 1966	1966	A1200, L54295
Photograph of Prime Minister HE Holt addressing the House of Representatives, 1966	1966	A1200, L57223
Personal and Christmas gifts, including correspondence about a photograph album, a film of an official visit to Korea, and silver beakers for The Lodge, 1966–67	1966–67	M2684, 112
Audio-visual material relating to HE and Zara Holt, c1920–86	c1920–86	M4294
Audio-visual material relating to HE and Zara Holt, c1921–81	c1921–81	M4297

Relevant research guides

The National Archives has produced a number of research guides and fact sheets that may assist you with your research on Harold Edward Holt. These are available from the website and in print versions.

Records of Australian prime ministers, 1901–71 (Fact Sheet 70)

Harold Edward Holt (Fact Sheet 83)

Harold Holt's disappearance (Fact Sheet 144)

Robert Gordon Menzies (Fact Sheet 78)

Arthur William Fadden (Fact Sheet 79)

Canberra air disaster, 1940 (Fact Sheet 142)

National service and war, 1939–45 (Fact Sheet 162)

National service, 1965–72 (Fact Sheet 164)

Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War (Fact Sheet 117)

British nuclear tests at Maralinga (Fact Sheet 129)

John McEwen (Fact Sheet 84)

John Grey Gorton (Fact Sheet 85)