Roger Climpson

Roger Climpson (18 October 1931 – 17 September 2025) was a British-born Australian media personality who served a lengthy career in both radio and television, as a journalist and reporter, announcer, newsreader, weather presenter and host. He started his career as an actor in radio, but also appeared in theatre and television productions; post his mainstream media career, he went into Christian broadcasting.

Climpson was a news presenter with both the Nine Network and Seven Network for Seven News in the 1980s and 1990s and hosted shows such as the local version of This Is Your Life and true-crime series Australia's Most Wanted.

Early life Climpson was born on 18 October 1931 in Peterborough, England. The son of a butcher, he aimed to become a pilot in the Royal Air Force, until a rugby union accident at the age of 14 punctured his lung, leading him to take up acting instead of flying. He emigrated to Australia in 1949, and met his future wife Claire at a Christmas party in 1952.

Radio and theatre career Climpson started his career locally in theatre and radio, appearing in radio series including Caltex Theatre, The General Motors Hour, When a Girl Marries, Life Can Be Beautiful, and Portia Faces Life as well as narrating Tarzan, Kingdom of the Apes. He also appeared in numerous theatre plays at the ABC.

Television Climpson had guest roles in early television serials like Homicide and You Can't See Round Corners.

He began his television career at its inception in 1956, working at Channel Nine as an announcer, weatherman and newsreader. He got the job at Nine after asking his friend Brian Henderson to have a word with the head of the network, Bruce Gyngell. During his time at Nine, he hosted two programs of his own: Rendezvous with Roger and The House and Garden Show. He returned to acting in plays such as The Big Killing (1965) in which Filmink described him as "having the time of his life".

Climpson found himself briefly unemployed and worked at his father's butcher shop, until he was asked to fill a temporary newsreader role at Channel Seven – where he stayed for fifteen years.

In 1977 Climpson presented the afternoon shift on Sydney's 2GB.

In 1977, he began hosting This Is Your Life until returning to newsreading in 1978. In 1982, Climpson retired from television work, but returned to the station in 1989 as anchor of Sydney's Seven News, until a diagnosis of prostate cancer in November 1994 forced his temporary retirement.

Honours On Australia Day 2004 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).

Radio acting and broadcasting Title Caltex Theatre The General Motors Hour When a Girl Marries Portia Faces Life Life Can Be Beautiful 2GB Afternoon Shift (1977) Host and chairman at Hope 103.2 (1995–2004)

Filmography (television) Selected credits TitleYearNotes Rope (TV movie) 1957 Mr Blackface Rendezvous with Roger Climpson (TV series) 1959 Himself Teenage Mailbag 1960 Himself as Host The Year in Review (TV movie documentary) 1961 Himself as Host The Splendour and the Peaks (documentary short) 1962 Himself as Narrator (voice) The Story of Port Augusta (documentary) 1963 Himself as Narrator and Commentator The City of Adelaide (documentary) 1965 Himself – Commentator (voice) The Big Killing (TV movie) 1965 Peter Ashbury Twelve Night (TV movie) 1966 Orsino Homicide (TV series) 1967 2 rolesEdwin BlakeAl Taylor Sydney Tonight 1968–1969 Himself as Host Dangerous Reef (documentary short) 1969 Himself Celebrity Tattle Tales 1980 Himself This is Your Life (TV series) 1975–1980 Himself as Host Australia's Most Wanted (TV series) 1998 Host Australia the Story Of Us (TV series documentary) 2015 Host

Newsreader Program Title Years Network Nine News (as news anchor, announcer, weatherman) 1957–1965 Nine Network Seven News (stint 1) main news presenter 1965–1980 Seven Network Seven Nightly News (stint 2) (6.00pm bulletin) 1989–1994 Seven Network