| Review of: | The Life and Death of Harold Holt by Tom Frame |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Scott Prasser |
| Reviewed in: | Australian Journal of Public Administration |
| Date accepted online: | 25/09/2006 |
| Published in print: | Volume 65, Issue 2, Pages 110-124 |
Book Reviews
Some 28 years after his death in December 1967 we have at last a biography of Harold Holt, Australia's seventeenth prime minister (1966-1967) and not inconsequentially, the second leader of one of Australia's most successful political parties.
It says something both about Holt and Australian literary and academic tradition and perhaps even the Liberal Party, that we have had to wait so long for this 372 page biography by Tom Frame.
Perhaps the long gestation reflects Holt's all too brief prime minister-ship of 22 months. Yet here was a man who was in federal politics unbroken from 1935 till his death 32 years later. Moreover, for most his time in politics Holt held numerous ministerial posts, both between 1939-41 and from 1949 till becoming prime minister. Several of these posts were not insignificant. They included during the long post World War Two Menzies government, Immigration and National Service and Labour (1949-58), and later Treasury (1958-1966).
Moreover,Holtperformedwellinthese positions that were not always easy portfolios. Immigration during the 1950s expanded at an unprecedented rate and involved a markedly changed composition. The Labour portfolio involved dealing with industrial unrest and managing difficult unions on the wharves and the ACTU. Treasury, despite the apparent prosperity of the times, could never be an easy role.
Surely, such longevity and success deserves attention. Apparently not, at least till now. How can this be so?
Well it partly reflects that Holt was a promise unfulfilled. He was not big enough to fill Menzies' shoes and not imaginative enough to choose his own style. There is also a taint of political failure about Holt as his government after the landslide 1966 election ran into some problems on the VIP plane affair and the HMAS
Of course, there is the American link. Harold not only maintained and extended the USA alliance, but gave us 'All the way with LBJ' - in reference to President Johnson and support to America in Vietnam. Unforgivable of course for some, while the Liberals like to forget such outbursts. Again, Frame is fair in his assessment of Holt in this area and it is doubtful whether other leaders would have done anything different.
So what has Frame given us?
Well, 'young Harold'as Menzies called him, comes across as a more complex figure than formerly portrayed. His 'with it' style of skin diving, some gambling and enjoyment of the opposite sex, contrasted with his dedication to his work. Holt, Frame informs us, arrived early at work and left late, took his ministerial duties seriously and tackled problems carefully and with due consultation of his department and others. Overall, Frame shows that Holt, as minister, avoided major gaffes, showed considerable judgement and skills in dealing with unions, resisted extreme measures advocated by some business and party interests and although reliant on his department head at Treasury, nevertheless mastered the brief if not the department. In immigration he helped break down the white Australia policy and understood that Australia was close to Asia, if not fully part of the region.
While Frame has given us a detailed accountofHolt'spoliticallifeitcomesacross too much as political chronicle, with each chapter moving historically forward, providing the background, the events, but not the colour of Holt or how he actually operated. There is a surprising over-reliance on secondary sources in these accounts.
The key issue about Holt as the book's title implies, is of course his unexpected death and its surrounding circumstances. While this issue is important Frame devotes too much attention to it and to debunking some the way out myths that have developed to explain Holt's disappearance. Of course, too much of our memory is influenced by the way he died rather than what he did in office.
More time could have been spent to covering Holt at a personally level. This is where, as Frame highlights in the last chapter, where Holt really excelled. From Frame's analysis Holt seems like a very likable person, hence the positive attributes given about him after his death. They were attributes not about his role as prime minister, but as a person you work and rub shoulders with in the wear and tear of life.
Holt had other positive features that Frame exposes. For instance, Holt was not interested in amassing wealth and soon left his legal firm behind him from 1949. He was in many ways a scholarship boy and performed well academically. We also find out that to his credit, that at the outbreak of the Second World War, Holt enlisted as a private in the Army, resisted the option of a commission and probably would have served overseas had he not been recalled to office after the infamous 1940 plane accident wiped out senior ministers in the first Menzies government.
Despite these brief insights the book does not really get at Holt the man. Holt's private relationships are only partially explored. We are told that Holt's mother died when he was sixteen, and that he did not attend the funeral. That is all. We are informed that Harold went out with one woman who was also 'being wooed' by Holt's father and whom his father eventually married. What an intriguing situation! We get part of the story about Zara Dickens whom Holt married some years after, but not a great deal about their relationship or the others Holt was reputed to have.
The best chapter, is the last, 'The Legacy.' This is not because of its assessment of Holt's political impact, but rather in its summary of how Holt was personally perceived by different players. Frame's analysis here is interesting and his ability to see through Hasluck's much quoted assessments is refreshing and overdue. Frame could have made some of these points more strongly at the beginning of the book. It would have provided a useful framework for assessing Holt's behaviour in ministerial office.
Overall, if you want to know what politics is all about and all the intricacies that make up decision making then more biographies like this one need to be produced and read. They are full of details that are not covered in more subject specific books. They place political actor, government institution and administrative processes more in proximity to each other, so we can better assess how they impact on each other.
As for Harold Holt he was not a prime minister or even leader. Few are. Nevertheless, he got there and from reading Frame's sympathetic biography, he had more talent and was harder working than many of his contemporaries and was as genuine a person as you can get in politics.
Frame has given us the first cut of Holt, like Martin did for Menzies. For this we can thank them both. More detailed assessment is needed as we have only seen one aspect of these leaders.