By Greg Blood

HAROLD HOLT

LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

17th Prime Minister: 1966–1967

Harold Holt had a passion for health and fitness and this led to several Australian Government initiatives during his time in leadership positions. Holt as prime minister upheld the Menzies Government view that government should have a limited involvement in sport. His sudden death cut short the impact he could have made as prime minister in further improving the fitness of Australians.

Birth: 5 August 1908, Sydney, NSW – Death: 17 December 1967, near Portsea, VIC

Political Appointments

• Federal Member for Fawkner, Victoria: 17 August 1935 – 10 December 1949
• Federal Member for Higgins, Victoria: 10 December 1949 – 19 December 1967
• Ministries: Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research – 28 October 1940 – 28 August 1941; Minister for Labour and National Service 28 October 1940 – 7 October 1941; 19 December 1949 – 10 December 1958; Minister for Immigration 19 December 1949 – 24 October 1956; Treasurer 10 December 1958 – 26 January 1966
• Prime Minister:  26 January 1966 – 19 December 1967 (1 year, 327 days – died at sea)

Background

Harold Edward Holt was born in Sydney and his father was a physical education teacher at Cleveland Street School in Surry Hills. In 1920, at the age of eleven, Holt and his younger brother Cliff became borders at Melbourne’s Wesley College. During his seven years at Wesley College, he played Australian football as a ‘nuggetty’ back pocket and cricket as batsman and bowler. Whilst at Wesley, he would regularly walk down to St Kilda Beach where he “learned to live and move in the water. [1]

Holt won a scholarship to Queen’s College at the University of Melbourne. His Australian National Dictionary of Biography article stated that at university he excelled in sport and theatricals than academic studies.[2] At the University of Melbourne, Holt competed a Bachelor of Laws Degree. He represented Queen’s College in Australian football, tennis and captained the cricket team. In 1930, he was elected President of Queen’s College Sports and Social Club. In 1933, after completing his university studies, he established a legal practice in Melbourne.

As a member of the United Australia Party, Holt unsuccessfully stood for the seat of Yarra, Victoria at the 1934 Federal Election and Clifton Hill, Victoria at the 1935 Victorian State Election – both seats were safe ALP seats. He was elected to Federal Parliament after winning the Federal seat of Fawkner in a 1935 by-election.

Holt held three significant ministries in the post war Menzies Government – Minister for Labour and National Service and Minister for Immigration (1949-1958) and Treasurer (1958–1966). Holt succeeded long serving Robert Menzies as prime minister in 1966.

Holt disappeared whilst swimming at Cheviot Beach, Portsea on 17 December 1967. His was body was never found. [3]

Lifelong Participation in Sport and Fitness

Mabel Brookes, wife of Sir Norman Brookes, recounted that Holt regularly visited their home ‘Cliff House’ in Mount Eliza whilst doing his law course at university and played tennis on their courts and swam of the Davey’s Bay pier. Brookes commented that “Harold never swam well and the girls usually kept an eye on him when he went off the pier, his vigour a little frightening.” [4]

After leaving his competitive sport days at university, Holt played occasional games of golf and regularly played tennis. Holt developed a strong relationship with Sir Norman Brookes, former leading Australian tennis player and long-time tennis administrator. But swimming and snorkeling were Holt’s constant fitness pursuits. It was reported that Holt would practise holding his breath for up to two minutes during boring periods in the House of Representatives.. This was done to allow him to dive deeper whilst snorkeling. [5]

As he aged, Holt was determined to keep himself in good physical condition despite the fact that he was a moderate smoker. After becoming Prime Minister designate he invited renowned fitness conditioner Percy Cerutty to Portsea. [6]

Holt’s media portrayal was one of a healthy and physically active politician. Walker in his biography on Holt highlights a Jeff Hook cartoon where he noted that:

“he was portrayed as a cheerful, goofy figure in half-a-dozen different guises: straining to touch his toes, sweating through a bout of push-ups; swiping at a tennis ball; swimming a golf club on the ninth hole of the green; spreading his arms and legs, in the midst of star jumps. But it was his enthusiasm for aquatic pursuits that was front and centre, with Holt depicted as a wet suited, masked and flippered“. [7]

National Fitness

Shortly after entering Federal Parliament, Holt’s passion to improve the fitness of Australians came to prominence. In a House of Representatives speech on 14 October 1936, Holt stated:

“The physique and stamina of the Australian Imperial Force were a demonstration of the quality of manhood that Australia can produce, but at the same time, we have to face many deficiencies in this respect. Of those men who tried to enlist during the war, 34 per cent, were rejected as being medically unfit, and another 14 per cent, of those who were accepted eventually proved unfit for active service. With a population of less than 7,000,000” [8]

This theme of Australian fitness and war can be traced back Prime Minister Andrew Fisher extolling this importance prior to World War I.

In October 1938, Holt published an article in The Age praising the value of national fitness. He noted that the British Government had enacted the Physical Training and Recreation Act 1937 and New Zealand Government Physical Welfare and Education Act 1937. [9] He became a strong advocate for Australia to establish a National Fitness Council.

The Lyons Government established the National Co-ordinating Council for Physical Fitness in late 1938 with Holt being appointed a member.  Holt attended the first four meetings of the Council from 1939 to 1940. The first session report referred to Holt as “a member of the Federal Parliament who has shown a live interest in the question of national fitness over a number of years. [10] The Menzies Government formalised the Commonwealth Government’s intervention into the fitness of the nation through the National Fitness Act 1941.

As Treasurer from 1958 to 1966 in the Menzies Government, Holt continued to provide annual funding to the National Fitness Council.

Holt’s interest in the promotion of fitness of Australians reappeared on 14 August 1967 when as prime minister he launched the Fitness Australia campaign. He stated:

For most of the 70 per cent of Australians living in cities, fitness is a challenge. Our successes in sport do not prove that we are a physically tough people. Too many are spectators – not enough participate. Not easy perhaps to find opportunities for sport, and many city jobs make little call on physical effort.

Fit people lead longer lives. They get more out of can give more to it. To be strong as a nation, we must its citizens. [11]

Olympic Games

Holt’s involvement in the Olympic Games was through his appointment on the Organising Committee of 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games and funding Australian Olympic teams.

In 1950, Holt was appointed to the Organising Committee for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games as the Commonwealth Government’s representative due to his position as Federal Minister for Labor and Immigration. In April 1950, he voted for the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the main site for Melbourne Olympics [12] – the site of the Games main stadium was contentious for several years and will was fully discussed in Robert Menzies chapter. Menzies Government minister Kent Hughes was Chair of the Organising Committee and he had more involvement in the organisation of the Games from a Commonwealth Government viewpoint than Holt as he was frequently the conduit between Menzies Government, Victorian Government and International Olympic Committee President Avery Brundage over location and construction of Games facilities.

Holt’s passion for the fitness of Australian could be seen by his statement in August 1955, that the Olympic torch relay be limited to bona fide amateur athletes- “Running a mile in seven minutes carrying a seven pound miner’s lamp — in any weather, storm or shine — is not something anyone can do, particularly on an uphill climb.” [13] In other words, he did not want “unfit’’ Australians carrying the torch.

During his period as Treasurer, the Australian Olympic Federation (AOF), requested funding for sending Australian Olympic teams overseas. Menzies Government provided funding of £20,000 and £30,000 to the 1960 Rome and 1964 Tokyo Olympic teams. In responding to 1960 AOF request Holt stated:

The Government is conscious of the value to Australia of the performance of the splendid band of athletes who compete in the Olympic Games. It will be recalled that when the games were held in Melbourne the Commonwealth Government contributed financially in a substantial degree to their successful conduct.

Holt went onto state that sports organisations were also required to raise significant funds as team funding was “not be merely a Government matter” [14]

In 1960, there was a request to make donations to the 1960 Perth British Empire Games tax deductible for income purposes, but Holt rejected this request. Holt stated the Commonwealth Government had contributed £100,000 towards the cost of conducting the Games. [15]

Holt’s wife Dame Zara designed the 1968 Australian Olympic women team’s clothing – wattle yellow dress for for the opening ceremony and Olympic green for travel and casual wear. [16]

Post War Immigration

As Immigration Minister, Holt oversaw Australia’s significant increase in post-World War II immigration from Europe. This immigration ultimately led to the growth of soccer (football) in Australia and the establishment of ethically aligned clubs.

Sport Diplomacy

As Prime Minister, Holt allowed the Australian soccer team to play in the Vietnam National Day Soccer Tournament in Saigon in November 1967. Besides boosting the morale of Australian troops, it could be seen as “football diplomacy”. [17]

Conclusion

Holt had a strong conviction on the role that the government could play in promoting the benefits for fitness in improving the health of the nation. He was part of the Menzies Government that introduced the first piece of legislation – National Fitness Act 1941 – where the government took an active role in promoting fitness. He continued the Menzies Government view that the government should have a hands off position in relation to the development of sport.

Holt as a member of Federal Parliament – 1935 to 1966 – actively participated in sport and fitness activities and this was often reflected in the media’s portrayal of him.

In 1969, the Harold Holt Memorial Pool (now Harold Holt Swim Centre) was opened in Malvern, Melbourne.

Cartoon

• Cartoon depicting Prime Minister Harold Holt engaging in various different athletic activities by Jeff Hook at National Museum of Australia, Collection ID 1987.0028.0029

References

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[1] Walker, Ross  Harold Holt: Always One Step Further, Melbourne, LaTrobe Uni Press, 2022, p. 29

[2] Hancock, I.R. Harold Holt, Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1996.

[3] Online biographies – Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Archives of Australia, Museum of Australian Democracy

[4] Brookes, Mabel. Memoirs, South Melbourne, Vic. : Macmillan, 1974. p.186-190

[5] Out of his depth: the PM who believed his own publicity, The Age (Melbourne), 25 August 2003

[6] Walker, p.140

[7] Walker, p.141

[8] Holt, Harold, Budget, House of Representatives Hansard, 14 October 1936, p. 1105

[9] Holt, Harold. National Value of Fitness, The Age (Melbourne), 29 October 1938, p.20 : 1854 – 1954), p. 20.

[10] Hartung, Greg, Up For The Fight: Commonwealth Government’s First Tentative Steps Toward the Development of a National, Co-ordinated Approach to Fitness, Recreation and Community Sport, Australian Sport Reflections, 2021       

[11] Holt, Harold, Fitness Australia, Prime Minister Transcripts, 7 August 1967.

[12] Olympic Games Site, Maryborough Chronicle, 3 April 1950, p.

[13] Olympic Shocks, Tribune (Sydney, NSW), 17 August 1955. P. 11: 1939 – 1991), p. 114

[14] Holt, Harold, Harold, Olympic Games, House of Representatives Hansard, 7 May 1967

[15] Holt, Harold, Question – Empire Games Perth, House of Representatives Hansard, 25 August 1960, p.407

[16] Dame Zara’s Olympic designs, The Australian Women’s Weekly, 18 September 1968, p. 3

[17] Hay, Roy, Almanac Soccer: When the Socceroos* went to war, Footy Almanac, 9 November 2017