HOLT SUB PLOT ‘MAD’
IT was suggested Harold Holt disappeared on a Chinese submarine but his grandson reckons that story is “madness”, noting the former prime minister didn’t even like Chinese food.
Mr Holt went for a swim at Victoria’s Cheviot Beach 50 years ago yesterday and was never seen again.
It’s believed he drowned but the 59-year-old’s body was never recovered and conspiracy theories swirled, including a wild story that he was a Chinese spy and was secreted away on a submarine.
But grandson Robert Holt says Cheviot Beach was too shallow for such a vessel to get in, and in any case his grandfather wasn’t a fan of Chinese cuisine. “Every year there are people who drown in Australian waters and we never find the body,” Robert said.
“If you look at the beach here and how shallow it is, the idea that a submarine could have got in here is absolute madness.
“My grandmother said he didn’t even like Chinese food. So it’s unlikely (he was) taken away by a Chinese submarine.”
Robert hoped his grandfather, who was the political heir to Robert Menzies, would be remembered for his achievements rather than the way he vanished.
Mr Holt oversaw the dismantling of the White Australia policy and drove the historic referendum to ensure Aboriginal people were included in the census.
He also introduced dollar currency and the child endowment scheme, which was the first time mothers were paid a benefit for raising children.
“He was very progressive in his thinking,” Robert said at Cheviot Beach. “So we are very keen that he is remembered for his achievements, not just the last few minutes of his passing.”
Robert and other family members attended a memorial service for Mr Holt yesterday at Point Nepean, overlooking Cheviot Beach.