Harold Holt

The Right Honourable Harold Holt CH
Holt at a SEATO leader's summit, 1966
17th Prime Minister of Australia
In office 26 January 1966 – 17 December 1967[a]
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor‑General	Lord Casey
Deputy	John McEwen
Preceded by	Robert Menzies
Succeeded by	John McEwen
Leader of the Liberal Party
In office 20 January 1966 – 18 December 1967
Deputy	William McMahon
Preceded by	Robert Menzies
Succeeded by	John Gorton
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
In office 26 September 1956 – 20 January 1966
Leader	Robert Menzies
Preceded by	Eric Harrison
Succeeded by	William McMahon
Leader of the House
In office 26 September 1956 – 26 January 1966
Preceded by	Eric Harrison
Succeeded by	David Fairbairn
Treasurer of Australia
In office 10 December 1958 – 26 January 1966
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies
Preceded by	Arthur Fadden
Succeeded by	William McMahon
Minister for Labour and National Service
In office 19 December 1949 – 10 December 1958
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies
Preceded by	Jack Holloway
Succeeded by	William McMahon
In office 28 October 1940 – 7 October 1941
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies Arthur Fadden
Succeeded by	Eddie Ward
Minister for Immigration
In office 19 December 1949 – 24 October 1956
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies
Preceded by	Arthur Calwell
Succeeded by	Athol Townley
Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research
In office 28 October 1940 – 28 August 1941
Prime Minister	Robert Menzies
Preceded by	Herbert Collett
Succeeded by	John Dedman
Member of the Australian Parliament for Higgins
In office 10 December 1949 – 19 December 1967
Succeeded by	John Gorton
Member of the Australian Parliament for Fawkner
In office 17 August 1935 – 10 December 1949
Preceded by	George Maxwell
Succeeded by	Bill Bourke
Personal details
Born	Harold Edward Holt (1908-08-05)5 August 1908 Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia
Died	17 December 1967(1967-12-17) (aged 59) Cheviot Beach, Victoria, Australia
Cause of death	Drowning (presumed)
Political party	United Australia (until 1945) Liberal (after 1945)
Spouse	Zara Dickins Fell ​ (m. 1946)​
Relations	Vera Pearce (aunt)
Children	3
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Profession	Lawyer
Signature
Nickname	Gunner Holt
Military service
Branch/service	Australian Imperial Force
Years of service	1939–1940
Rank	Gunner
Unit	2/4th Field Regiment
Battles/wars	World War II

This article is part of a series about Harold Holt
Early life Member for Fawkner (1935–1949) Member for Higgins (1949–1967) Minister without portfolio World War II service Minister for Labour and National Service (1940–41) Child Endowment Act 1941 Minister for Labour and National Service (1949–58) Minister for Immigration Treasurer of Australia Reserve Bank Act 1959 Credit squeeze and recession of 1960–61 1966 Liberal Party leadership election Prime Minister of Australia Term of government (1966–1967) Decimalisation and dollar introduction Migration Act 1966 1967 Indigenous referendum All the way with LBJ Australian involvement in the Vietnam War Royal Commission into the Melbourne–Voyager collision VIP aircraft affair Disappearance Ministries First ministry Second ministry Elections 1966 1967 (Half-Senate)
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Harold Edward Holt CH (5 August 1908 – 17 December 1967) was an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until his disappearance and presumed death in 1967. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.

Holt was born in Sydney and moved to Melbourne in childhood, studying law at the University of Melbourne. Before entering politics he practised law and was a lobbyist for cinema operators. He was first elected to the House of Representatives at the age of 27, becoming a member of parliament (MP) for the division of Fawkner at a by-election in 1935.^[2] A member of the United Australia Party (UAP), Holt was made a minister without portfolio in 1939, when his mentor Robert Menzies became prime minister. His tenure in the ministry was interrupted by a brief stint in the Australian Army, which ended when he was recalled to cabinet following the deaths of three ministers in the 1940 Canberra air disaster. The government was defeated in 1941, sending the UAP into opposition, and he joined the new Liberal Party upon its creation in 1945.

When the Liberals came to office in 1949, Holt became a senior figure in the new government. As Minister for Immigration (1949–1956), he expanded the post-war immigration scheme and relaxed the White Australia policy for the first time. He was also influential as Minister for Labour and National Service (1949–1958), where he handled several industrial relations disputes. Holt was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party in 1956, and after the 1958 election replaced Arthur Fadden as Treasurer. He oversaw the creation of the Reserve Bank of Australia and the decimal Australian dollar, but was blamed for a credit crunch that almost cost the Coalition the 1961 election. However, the economy soon rebounded and Holt retained his place as Menzies' heir apparent.

Holt became prime minister in January 1966, elected unopposed as Liberal leader following Menzies' retirement. He fought a general election later that year, winning a landslide victory. The Holt government continued the dismantling of the White Australia policy, amended the constitution to give the federal government responsibility for indigenous affairs, and took Australia out of the sterling area. Holt promoted greater engagement with Asia and the Pacific, and made visits to a number of East Asian countries. His government expanded Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, and maintained close ties with the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson. While visiting the White House, Holt proclaimed that he was "all the way with LBJ", a remark which was poorly received at home.

In December 1967, Holt disappeared while swimming in rough conditions at Cheviot Beach, Victoria. He was presumed dead, although his body was never recovered; his disappearance spawned a number of conspiracy theories. Holt was the third Australian prime minister to die in office. He was succeeded by Country Party leader John McEwen on an interim basis and then by John Gorton. His death was commemorated in a number of ways, among them by the establishment of the Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre in Melbourne.

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