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 Minister for Immigration and Minister for Labour and National Service (1949-1958) and Prime Minister (1966-1967).

The earlier period is represented by correspondence relating to the International Labour Organisation Conference on Pneumoconiosis held in Sydney in 1950, press statements and articles covering 1941-1957, some minor publications and ephemera. The latter includes an official menu and concert programs relating to the Commonwealth Jubilee Celebrations in June 1951 and letters patent appointing Holt to the Immigration and Labour and National Service portfolios in 1956.

Items from the period when Holt was Prime Minister include a colour satellite photograph of Carnarvon in Western Australia taken from Gemini VI and presented by US President Lyndon B Johnson, the typescript of a children’s play ‘Monkey tricks’ by Grant McIntyre, a certificate from the Institute of Meat and an original cartoon of President Johnson.

Related legislation

Using the series

Language of material

Physical characteristics

a)      Item [1]: Colour photograph in blue leather presentation folder (official gift)

b)      Item [2]: Personal correspondence

c)      Items [3] - [7]: Press statements, speeches, articles, publications, typescript of play

d)     Items [8] – [11]: Ephemera (menus, stationery, certificates, cartoon etc)

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 M4297, M4298, M4299 and M4300, and also related to other Holt material (eg M4295) and to M4962, M4963, and M4964.

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