Harold Holt Biography

Harold Holt was the 17th Prime Minister of Australia. Before becoming the Prime Minister in 1966, he had been a MP for 31 years—the longest wait for any Australian Prime Minister. Born in Stanmore, New South Wales, he had a difficult childhood. His parents divorced when he was 10 and his mother died, when he was 16. Due to his parent’s divorce and his mother’s early death, he grew up as a lonely and insecure child. He won a scholarship to Queen’s College at the University of Melbourne and in college, he excelled in multiple fields including cricket, football and debating. His first love, Viola Thring abandoned him for his father. Harold then graduated with a law degree but due to Great Depression, he was unable to find employment. His father wanted him to study further in England but the worsening economy stole this opportunity from him. In the early 1930s, he unsuccessfully contested a couple of times in the federal elections before finally succeeding in the 1935 by-elections. When Robert Menzies became the Prime Minister, he promoted Harold to a Minister without a portfolio and became Harold's mentor. From this point, he patiently climbed up the political ladder and became the Prime Minister himself. But here too, destiny played spoil-sport and soon he was severely criticized on a number of matters by his own party members. In the first year of his tenure, he went swimming with his friends and never came back. Even one of the largest search-operation in Australian history couldn't find him or his body