David Parer

David Parer is an award-winning Australian natural history film maker.

Parer was conscripted into the Australian Army to go to the Vietnam War in 1970, but he entered a Masters program to study physics in the Antarctic. Parer spent the summers of 1970 and 1972 in Antarctica studying cosmic rays at Mawson Base. While there he filmed his first documentary. David subsequently joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC Natural History Unit making wildlife films. He met his wife and fellow film maker, Elizabeth Parer-Cook, in 1977.

David and Elizabeth's films have won over 130 Australian and international awards including the Golden Panda at Wildscreen twice and three Emmy's.

He was awarded Golden Panda from Wildscreen (known as the green Oscars) for:

He has been awarded the AFI award for the best cinematography for a non-feature film four times, for :

His other work as a cinematographer and producer includes:

Many of David's documentaries have been narrated by noted naturalist David Attenborough.

David received an Honorary Doctor of Science at Monash University, Melbourne in 1989.

David gained legend status at St Patrick's College Old Collegians' Association. He attended college there from 1962 to 1964.

His uncle was the renowned Academy Award-winning war cinematographer, Damien Peter Parer, who filmed Kokoda Front Line in 1944 in Papua New Guinea.