Born on August 1st, 1912, in Malvern, Melbourne, Damien Peter Parer was a war photographer and cameraman. He was the youngest of eight children from John Arthur Parer, a hotelkeeper from Spain, and his wife Teresa, who was born in Victoria. Parer grew up on King Island, where his father ran the King Island Hotel.

Early Years

In the mid-1930s, a chance meeting between his father and the pioneering Australian film-makers Charles and Elsa Chauvel led to a job with the crew of the feature film Heritage, and later, he was to work as a cameraman with them and Frank Hurley on their famous feature, Forty Thousand Horsemen.

While working as a studio photographer for various employers, Parer created home movies and documentaries during breaks from feature films.. Notably, he worked alongside Max Dupain, who was married to Olive Cotton at the time. Together, the trio established a close friendship and collaborative partnership.

In 1938, Parer was in charge of filming “This Place Australia,” a short film that showcased the poems of Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson in two parts. Parer’s camera work, heavily influenced by Tasman, Arthur Higgins, and Errol Hind, was most innovative when he adapted the styles of Australian still photographers to motion pictures. For example, he emulated Dupain’s cityscapes when portraying Sydney. He also drew inspiration from the pictorialists’ use of Australian light in landscape compositions when filming the Blue Mountains.

WWII Middle East

In January of 1940, as a photographer with the Commonwealth Department of Information, Parer embarked on a journey to the Middle East alongside the Australian Imperial Force. While on board the gunboat H.M.S. Ladybird, he captured footage of the bombardment of Bardia, Libya, in January  1941. Together with Frank Hurley, he documented the Australian assault on Tobruk in January. Shortly after, he joined ‘C’ Company, 2nd/11th Battalion, as they attacked the Derna airfield, where he filmed his first motion picture of infantry advancing under fire.

During the Greek (April) and Syrian (June-July) campaigns, as well as the Tobruk siege (April-December), Parer primarily took motion pictures with a few stills. He even filmed an air raid while flying with the Australian crew of a Royal Air Force Blenheim bomber. His exceptional work was frequently featured in newsreels, and his name became widely recognised.

WWII – New Guinea

After Pearl Harbour, Damien was recalled from the Middle East to cover New Guinea. In 1942, against Department of Information orders, he went to the Kokoda Track with the first units of the Australian Infantry Forces. It was a bitter campaign fought under the harshest of conditions where the enemy melted into the jungle.

Damien returned to Sydney with 800ft of film and hand-delivered the precious images to Ken Hall. “Kokoda Front Line!” brought the real nature of jungle warfare to the audiences back home. The film earned Damien and Cinesound Australia’s first Academy Award.

Parer’s footage became famous in 1943 when he was featured in Cinesound newsreels such as Men of Timor and The Bismarck Convoy Smashed. His most impressive work is Assault on Salamaua. However, he was unhappy with his salary and allowances. Additionally, he believed that the Department of Information had treated his colleagues, George Silk and Alan Anderson, unfairly. As a result, he resigned in August and joined Paramount News, where he covered American operations. He married Elizabeth Marie Cotter, a 22-year-old clerk, on March 23rd 1944, at St Mary’s Catholic Church in North Sydney.

Final Assignment

During the invasion of Peleliu Island in the Palau group in September of that year, Parer was capturing soldiers’ expressions as they went into action. Tragically, he was killed by a Japanese machine gunner while walking backwards behind a tank. He was buried in the Ambon War cemetery and was mentioned in dispatches. His wife, Elizbeth Cotter, survived him, and their son was born the following year.

Parer was more than just a combat cameraman and propagandist. His films told stories about the human condition, reflecting his extensive knowledge of cinema theory, particularly the ideas of John Grierson.

The photographs captured by Parer have become an integral part of the Anzac legend. These include a caped soldier crossing a stream and a Salvation Army officer lighting a cigarette for a wounded digger.

Yet, despite his accomplishments, Damien Parer remained humble and deeply committed to his Catholic faith. Fellow war photographer and friend Osmar White fondly remembered his infectious laugh, which White described as a booming bass hoot. He also noted Parer’s distinctive physical features: a tall yet stooped figure with black hair and sallow skin.

An exhibition entitled Still Action, showcasing Parer’s work, was sponsored by the Orange Regional Art Gallery and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and toured Australia between 1997 and 1999.