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The Harold Holt Mystery (1985)

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clip The prime minister is missing

Original classification rating: PG. This clip chosen to be PG

Clip description

Radio and television carries news of Harold Holt’s disappearance. Holt’s widow, Dame Zara Bate, remembers the day her husband vanished.

Curator’s notes

The archival footage in this segment provides a vivid picture of a day without precedent in Australian history. Primitive by today’s standards, outside broadcast technology brings grainy black-and-white television pictures live from Cheviot Beach. It is an almost surreal scene, with helicopters, navy divers and the army arriving at Cheviot to search for Harold Holt. Holt’s widow, Dame Zara Bate, gives a disarmingly honest account of how she reacted at the time. Tony Eggleton, Holt’s press secretary, served as Federal Director of the Liberal Party from 1975–90.

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

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  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

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