On December 17, 1967, the sitting Prime Minister of Australia waded into the surf at a treacherous beach and simply vanished. Within days, conspiracy theories filled the vacuum: a Chinese submarine, a CIA assassination, a faked death. The truth was far more human and tragic.

This episode looks past the mystery to the remarkable life of Harold Holt, the quiet architect of modern Australia. After waiting 30 years in his mentor's shadow, he pragmatically dismantled the White Australia policy, modernized the economy, and pivoted the nation toward Asia and America, all while leading a strikingly unconventional private life.

• As immigration minister from 1949, he dismantled the White Australia policy through stealthy administrative exceptions rather than grand speeches, avoiding union backlash
• Despite little interest in economic ...