Should Scott Morrison require advice on how a prime minister is expected to behave during times of natural disaster and anxiety, he might study how previous Australian leaders have acted.

No prime minister since Harold Holt more than half a century ago has thought it prudent to either leave the country or to stay away when an emergency occurs.

Holt was on tour in New Zealand when bushfire disaster hit Tasmania in February 1967. He flew to fire-blasted Tasmania to comfort survivors, declaring "I had to come to see for myself".

The Sydney Morning Herald reported him as "sombre, unsmiling", and "shocked and saddened".

Even the imperious Gough Whitlam, in the midst of an extended tour overseas, flew back to Australia from Europe to inspect the damage after Cyclone Tracy destroyed Darwin at Christmas in 1974.