The Disappearance of Harold Holt
Harold Holt became the Prime Minister and the leader of the Liberal Part in January 1966 (NAA 2017). Harold Holt winning the 1966 election came as a huge shock. The success of his campaign has been attributed to the pro-Vietnam platform, in particular his strong support for the United States' involvement in the Vietnam war (NAA 2017).
Harold Holt disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria on the 17 December, 1967 (NAA 2017). A tremendous search and rescue operation was immediately undertaken, the operation involved the Royal Australian Navy and Air Force and a range of other military personnel. This was one of the largest search operations in Australian history, lasting for 22 days (Mysterious Universe 2014).
Harold Holt was commonly described as a strong swimmer and a very active person and the idea he drowned was deemed implausible by a few close family and friends. The Victorian Police attempted to explain this, relaying that Holt was apparently suffering a shoulder injury that had nearly caused him to drown just seven months earlier (NAA 2017). Holt's physical health was also being questioned as they recall a collapses during Parliament that same year. This was later blamed as a "vitamin deficiency" which is highly unlikely (NAA 2017).
The explanations for finding no signs of the body are multitudinous and all unsatisfying. The explanations include the body being carried out to sea by tides, being wedged in rock crevices or being attacked by marine life (NAA 2017).
In January 1968, the Commonwealth and Victoria Police released a joint report submitted in January 1968 concluding that,
There were no shortage of speculation and conspiracy theories. The first speculation was inspired by a Swami of India's claim he had a vision that showed the location of Holt's body on the sea floor (Mysterious Universe 2014). Other theories include the claims that Holt committed suicide, intentionally drowning himself or that he faked his own death to run off with a mistress (NAA 2017).
The most ridiculous conspiracy theory comes from the 1983 book 'The Prime Minister Was a Spy' which made the outrageous assertion that Holt had been an operative of the People's Republic of China and his disappearance marked his return to China (Mysterious Universe 2014).
Despite the variety of theories surrounding Harold Holt's disappearance, the Commonwealth Government did not deem a formal inquiry necessary and accepted the conclusions of the Police report.
To understand the context of how Harold Holt drowned watch this silent film made by the Victorian Police re-enacting the movements of witnesses at Cheviot Beach
Tim Kelly 44585551
Reference List:
National Archives of Australia 2017, Harold Holt's disappearance – Fact sheet 144, NAA, accessed 17 April 2017, <http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs144.aspx>.
Mysterious Universe 2014, What Happened to Harold Holt, Mysterious Universe, accessed 17 April 2017, <http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/02/what-happened-to-harold-holt-the-disappearance-of-australias-prime-minister/>. In-text (Mysterious Universe 2014) and (National Archive of Australia, 2017)
Source: Bien Hoa, South Vietnam
Harold Holt disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria on the 17 December, 1967 (NAA 2017). A tremendous search and rescue operation was immediately undertaken, the operation involved the Royal Australian Navy and Air Force and a range of other military personnel. This was one of the largest search operations in Australian history, lasting for 22 days (Mysterious Universe 2014).
No sign of Harold Holt was ever found (NAA 2017).
Source: The Australian
Source: Holt Swimming
The explanations for finding no signs of the body are multitudinous and all unsatisfying. The explanations include the body being carried out to sea by tides, being wedged in rock crevices or being attacked by marine life (NAA 2017).
In January 1968, the Commonwealth and Victoria Police released a joint report submitted in January 1968 concluding that,
'… there has been no indication that the disappearance of the late Mr Holt was anything other than accidental' (NAA 2017).
Source: Search For Holt
There were no shortage of speculation and conspiracy theories. The first speculation was inspired by a Swami of India's claim he had a vision that showed the location of Holt's body on the sea floor (Mysterious Universe 2014). Other theories include the claims that Holt committed suicide, intentionally drowning himself or that he faked his own death to run off with a mistress (NAA 2017).
Source: Holt and Women
The most ridiculous conspiracy theory comes from the 1983 book 'The Prime Minister Was a Spy' which made the outrageous assertion that Holt had been an operative of the People's Republic of China and his disappearance marked his return to China (Mysterious Universe 2014).
Source: PM Was a Spy
Despite the variety of theories surrounding Harold Holt's disappearance, the Commonwealth Government did not deem a formal inquiry necessary and accepted the conclusions of the Police report.
To understand the context of how Harold Holt drowned watch this silent film made by the Victorian Police re-enacting the movements of witnesses at Cheviot Beach
Tim Kelly 44585551
Reference List:
National Archives of Australia 2017, Harold Holt's disappearance – Fact sheet 144, NAA, accessed 17 April 2017, <http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs144.aspx>.
Mysterious Universe 2014, What Happened to Harold Holt, Mysterious Universe, accessed 17 April 2017, <http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/02/what-happened-to-harold-holt-the-disappearance-of-australias-prime-minister/>. In-text (Mysterious Universe 2014) and (National Archive of Australia, 2017)
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