Of dubious educational value

For some reason, I like to relax by watching documentaries on Netflix. No wonder I have trouble relaxing. The quality varies from good to mediocre. One of the mediocre ones is Top 10 Secrets and Mysteries. Season 2, Episode 5 looks at unsolved disappearances. Since Australia barely rates a mention in such programs, I was surprised that the disappearance of former Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt was covered in this episode. In December 1967, Holt went missing, presumed drowned, whilst swimming in treacherous waters in Portsea, Victoria. His body was never recovered. This part of the segment was correct, but it contains two glaring errors.

The archival film footage used is incorrectly captioned as being from December 1967. The crowd of people in this screen grab are clearly attending a campaign rally for Malcolm Fraser, who was Prime Minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983. They are also wearing 1970's fashions, and the campaign slogan on the shirt, "Liberal. Doing the Job" was used in the 1977 Australian federal election. Secondly, it is erroneously stated that Holt led the Liberal Party to power in 1966. At that time, the Liberals had held power federally since 1949 under Robert Menzies. Holt became Prime Minister when Menzies retired in January 1966, and became Prime Minister in his own right in the November 1966 federal election. 

Is more careful research on these shows too much to ask for? 

Keep your fluids up

This is the first time I've ever mentioned Brisbane on this blog. It is my least favourite Australian city. It's too small, and the humidity is a killer. Nitpicking aside, the Bee Gees lived in the Brisbane suburb of Redcliffe early in their careers. In December 1966, they had a hit with their most successful Australian single, Spicks and Specks. On this day, it held the number six position on Brisbane radio station 4BC's Top 40 chart. By this time, they had already decided to return to their native England to further their career. This led to them achieving international fame, and becoming one of the most successful groups of all time. They continued to use the song in their set list on all of their later Australian tours. Barry Gibb also performed it on his solo tours. It was their, and his way, of thanking their Australian fans for supporting them.