Original classification rating: PG.
This clip chosen to be PG
Clip description
Controversial theories surrounding the disappearance of Harold Holt are investigated. One theory claims Holt was spying for China.
Curator’s notes
As ludicrous as many of these conspiracy theories are – particularly the 'Chinese spy’ theory put forward by Ronald Titcombe in Anthony Grey’s book The Prime Minister Was a Spy (1983) – this sequence shows the enduring public fascination with Holt’s disappearance. Sir William McMahon and Senator Don Chipp (a senior Liberal figure in the ‘60s and ‘70s who split from the party to become leader of the Australian Democrats) offer intriguing opinions about Holt’s possible change of mind regarding Australia’s commitment to the Vietnam War, but the idea of a CIA assassination is rightly dismissed as highly unlikely. The footage of lurid headlines is reminiscent of today’s tabloid celebrity gossip. The voice-over narration is far from neutral. It adopts a thinly veiled contempt for most of the speculation surrounding Holt’s death.
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