Summary heading

 Prime Ministers Papers Project.

Function and purpose

 This series consists of personal papers of Harold Edward Holt, mainly covering the periods when he was Treasurer (1958-1966) and Prime Minister (1966-1967).

Personal correspondence makes up most of the series. Several of these items have Prime Minister’s Department file covers. In some cases the papers are stamped ‘Special file’ indicating the status of the correspondent, eg Sir Robert Menzies, Lord Casey (long term political colleagues), John Busst (Queensland environmentalist and friend), Allen Chase, Rupert Gerard, David Rockefeller (American business associates). In other cases the papers are more general, and have been kept alphabetically by correspondent within a subject file, eg articles, forewords, messages, photographs. A few files have been constructed for archival convenience to accommodate a number of assorted letters and associated papers in the series covering official engagements, personal financial matters and family members. The latter includes correspondence relating to the deaths of Holt’s brother Cliff and aunt, Miss Vera Pearce. Overall, however, the correspondence itself is not particularly comprehensive.

Other items in the series include two souvenir publications received as official gifts, an apparently full set of Holt’s press releases and briefings as Prime Minister (with contents lists), the 1967 annual report of the American Australian Association and ‘Compendium of Commonwealth-State Finances, March 1960’.

Related legislation

Using the series

Language of material

Physical characteristics

a)      Items [1] – [2]: Souvenir books (official gifts)

b)      Item [3] – [19]: Personal correspondence

c)      Items [20] - [22]: Press statements and briefings

d)      Items [23] – [24]: Reports

System of arrangement and control

The single number system of control was imposed by National Archives of Australia in the absence of any original order to the material.

Relationships with other records

 Originally part of a larger collection now controlled as M4294, M4295 and M4296, and also related to other Holt material (eg M4299).

Finding aids

Access conditions

Series history

 The material in this series was amongst other records held in Holt family ownership after the death of Harold Edward Holt in December 1967. The arrangement of the material, including the item numbering and series description, was completed as part of the Prime Ministers Papers’ Project in July 2002.

Provenance

 Harold Edward Holt (CP 27).

Immediate source of acquisition

 Cultural Gifts Program.

Custodial history

 The series was acquired by National Archives in May 2002.

Quantity in agency custody

Disposal history

Publication note

Additional information

   National Archives: RKS file 2001/3037, R346572002

End notes

Sources