Australian Dictionary of Biography

Tip: searches only the name field
Tip: Use double quotes to search for a phrase

Browse by:

Cultural Advice

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains names, images, and voices of deceased persons.

In addition, some articles contain terms or views that were acceptable within mainstream Australian culture in the period in which they were written, but may no longer be considered appropriate.

These articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Australian National University.

Older articles are being reviewed with a view to bringing them into line with contemporary values but the original text will remain available for historical context.

Life Summary

Name	Clement William Semmler
Born	23 December, 1914 Eastern Well, South Australia, Australia
Died	10 August, 2000 (aged 85) Bowral, New South Wales, Australia
Cause of Death	cardiac arrest
Religious Influence	Lutheran Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included.
Related Entries	[View as tree] Slessor, Kenneth Adolf (friend) Duckmanton, Talbot Sydney (colleague) Dutton, Geoffrey Piers Henry (colleague) White, Patrick Victor (acquaintance) Bronner, Rudolph (mentor) Boyer, Richard James Fildes (employer) Barry, Keith Lewis (employer) Darling, James Ralph (employer) Moses, Charles Joseph (employer)
Education *	Murray Bridge Primary School (SA) (student, 1921-1926) Murray Bridge High School (SA) (student, 1927-1932) University of Adelaide (student, 1932-1938)
Occupation or Descriptor *	radio announcer (1938-1942) South Australia, Australia radio commentator (1938-1942) South Australia, Australia radio worker (1938-1946) South Australia, Australia schoolteacher (1938-1942) South Australia, Australia columnist (1941-1941) South Australia, Australia radio producer (1946-1977) New South Wales, Australia radio director (1947-1947) Federal, Australia radio producer (1947-1977) Federal, Australia broadcasting executive (1960-1977) Federal, Australia television station executive (1960-1977) Federal, Australia columnist (1977-1990) New South Wales, Australia autobiographer/memoirist (1991-1991) New South Wales, Australia
Awards	Officer of the Order of the British Empire (recipient, 1972) Member of the Order of Australia (recipient, 1989)
Legacies *	Clement Semmler Library (UNSW) (eponym, 2000)
Key Organisations *	ABC Senior Officers’ Association (president) Library Council of New South Wales (member) Sydney City Art Institute (member)
Political Activism *	Labor Party (supporter) Vietnam war opponent (activist, 1965-1972)
Workplaces *	Sydney Morning Herald (newspaper) (columnist) Australian Broadcasting Corporation (presenter, 1938) Unley High School (Adelaide) (teacher, 1938-1942) Radio Call (magazine) (contributor, 1941-1941) Australian Broadcasting Corporation (education officer, 1942-1946) Australian Broadcasting Corporation (executive, 1942-1977) Australian Broadcasting Corporation (producer, 1946)

* Dates are approximate