Harold Edward Holt (1908 - 1967)

Born 5 Aug 1908 in Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Zara Kate (Dickins) Bate DBE — married 8 Oct 1946 in 110 St Georges Road, Toorak, Victoria, Australia

Died 17 Dec 1967 at age 59 in Point Nepean, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Harold Holt is Notable.

Harold Edward Holt (1908-1967), prime minister, was born on 5 August 1908 at Stanmore, Sydney, elder son of Thomas James Holt, schoolteacher, and his wife Olive May, née Williams, both Australian born.^[1] Harold began his education at Randwick Public School and boarded briefly at Abbotsholme, Killara, where he met (Sir) William McMahon, a future colleague and prime minister. Tom Holt left teaching and tried the hotel trade in Adelaide before becoming a travelling theatrical manager. Harold's unsettled years ended when, aged 11, he was sent with his brother Cliff to board at Wesley Preparatory School, Melbourne.

Holt was a member of Federal Parliament from 1935 to 1967 and had a long ministerial career including: Science (1941-1), Labor (1949-58), Immigration (1949-56) and Treasurer (1958-66) before succeeding Menzies in 1966. During his last year as Prime Minister, the Australian referendum of 27 May 1967, called by his Government, approved two amendments to the Australian constitution relating to Indigenous Australians that became law on 10 August 1967. "These had the immediate effect of including Aboriginal Australians in determinations of population, and also empowered the Federal Parliament to legislate specifically for this racial group"^[2]. But one of the downsides was it did not include equal rights^[3].

Harold Holt disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach in Victoria on 17 December 1967. ^[4]

He married Zara Kate Fell, née Dickins (1909-1989), in her parents' home at Toorak in October 1946. He legally adopted her three children from her previous marriage to James Fell and gave them his surname. After Holt's death, she married another Liberal Parlaimentarian, Jeff Bate.

Sources

1. ↑ NSW BDM birth 28696/1908 registered at Petersham
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_referendum,_1967_(Aboriginals)
3. ↑ https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/australian-1967-referendum
4. ↑ SEARCH FOR P.M. GOES ON Mr Holt swam out long way, vanished (1967, December 18). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107037573

• Newspaper article on marriage: The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Wednesday 2 October 1946 p 14
• Wikpedia entry on Harold Holt
• Australian Dictionary of Biography - Harold Edward Holt
• National Museum of Australia - Harold Holt
• Museum of Australian Democracy (Old Parliament House) - Harold Holt
• Tom Frame, The Life and Death of Harold Holt, (Allen & Unwin, 2005). Preview available at Google Books
• Article on Wedding reception Mr Menzies at Microphone in New Role (1946, October 9). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22387404