Harold Holt and Lyndon Johnson in Canberra in 1966.
LYNDON Johnson's ranch -- the Texas White House -- on the banks of the Pedernales River was where the US president could lay on his legendary charm. But as he met Australian prime minister John Gorton beneath a large oak tree, lunched in the family dining room and drove him in a golf cart to inspect hereford cattle, something was not right.
It was May 1968. Both countries were engaged in the Vietnam War. Five months earlier, prime minister Harold Holt had disappeared while swimming off Portsea in Victoria. Johnson had developed a close friendship with Holt. He was eager to strike up an equally close relationship with Gorton.
At the ranch, Johnson stood on the tarmac and ushered the Australians aboard the helicopter to depart. The last to walk up the steps was Tony Eggleton, Holt's press secretary who was now working for Gorton. "Tony," Johnson said, gripping his hand and looking into his eyes. "It's just not the same." The two leaders had not hit it off. "Well, Mr President," Eggleton replied, "I'm sorry."
The Johnson-Holt relationship was the closest between a US president and an Australian prime minister. An insight into this unique pairing has been gained by new interviews and the release to The Australian of documents from the LBJ Presidential Library in Texas.
"From their initial meeting, there was chemistry between them," Eggleton tells The Australian. "They could talk easily to each other. They could be frank with each other. And, of course, LBJ was delighted to have the support of Australia for Vietnam. He found Harold to be a leader he could trust."
Harold Holt and Lyndon Johnson in Canberra in 1966.
