What happened to Harold Holt?
Harold Holt, the Prime Minister of Australia, disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach in Victoria on 17 December 1967. His body was never found, and he is presumed to have drowned.
Holt became Prime Minister in January 1966 after Robert Menzies retired. He was a strong supporter of the United States and famously declared that Australia would go all the way with LBJ, President Lyndon B. Johnson.
On the day he disappeared, Holt went swimming in rough surf near Portsea on the Mornington Peninsula. Witnesses saw him swim out and disappear in the waves.
Search and theories
A massive search involving police, navy divers and volunteers failed to find his body. A memorial service was held in Melbourne, attended by world leaders, including President Johnson and Prince Charles.
Over the years, various conspiracy theories have claimed that Holt was kidnapped or defected, but there is no evidence to support them. A coroner's inquest in 2005 found that he had drowned.
The Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre in Melbourne is named after him, which some people see as an ironic tribute. His government held the 1967 referendum, which changed the Constitution regarding Aboriginal people.