Harold Holt

Harold Holt dated Viola Thring, who was the daughter of his father's business partner. Eventually, she married his divorced father and became Harold's step-mother.

Holt dated Zara Kate Dickins during his university days. After they broke-up in 1934 she travelled to London, married a British Army Officer in March 1935 and had three boys. Her marriage ended soon and she married Harold in 1946 and he adopted the three boys.

Harold Edward Holt was born on August 5, 1908 at Stanmore, New South Wales to Thomas James Holt and Olive May. He had a younger brother named Cliff born in 1910. His parents divorced when he was 10.

Holt began his education at Randwick Public School and studied briefly at Abbotsholme, Killara. When he turned 11, both the brothers were sent to Wesley Preparatory School, Melbourne. Harold won several awards for sports, character and leadership there.

After completing his schooling, Harold won a scholarship to Queen's College at the University of Melbourne and began his law degree in 1927. He excelled in cricket, football and became the president of the Sports and Social Club and the Law Student's Society.

He graduated in 1930 and was admitted to the Victorian Bar on November 10, 1932. Due to the Great Depression he was unable to find work as a barrister and hence started working as a solicitor in 1933.

With a growing interest in politics, Harold Holt joined the Prahran branch of the 'United Australia Party'(UAP) in 1933 and unsuccessfully contested against former Prime Minister James Scullin for the Labor seat of Yarra in the federal elections.

In March 1935, he contested for the Victorian state Labor seat of Clifton Hill and lost. In August the same year, he won the by-election from Fawkner and became one of Australia's youngest-ever MPs. He held the seat till 1949.

In 1939, his mentor Robert Menzies became the Prime Minister and employed him as a Minister without Portfolio. Holt assisted the Minister for Supply and Development.

In October 1939, he became the Minister in Charge of Scientific and Industrial Research and for a brief period from November to December 1939, he was Acting Minister for Air and Civil Aviation.

In May 1940, he joined the Second Australian Imperial Force as a gunner, without resigning from his seat. But after the death of three Cabinet ministers in an air crash, few months later, Prime Minister Menzies recalled Holt from the Army. Holt was initially appointed as Minister without Portfolio and in October 1940, he was appointed as Minister for Labour and National Service.

In 1941, as Minister for Labour and National Service, Holt got the Child Endowment Act passed.

During his tenure as Prime Minister, Harold Holt did two path breaking works. Firstly, he carried out 1967 referendum, and secondly, he did not depreciate the Australian dollar in line with Britain's depreciation of the pound sterling, as was the practice earlier.