Carmel Travers

Carmel Travers is one of Australia’s most experienced and awarded media professionals, a trailblazing journalist, producer, and entrepreneur whose career spans decades and continents. She has worked across Australia and internationally as a journalist, presenter, and producer of award-winning documentaries, drama, feature films, and children’s programming.

Carmel began her career at the ABC as a journalist before taking on a posting in East Africa as a Foreign Correspondent for the ABC and BBC. She returned to Australia to host Nationwide in Perth and later initiated the ground-breaking science and technology program Towards 2000 for ABC Sydney. In 1984, she developed and produced a new version of the show, Beyond 2000, which screened in more than 150 countries over 15 years, including on the Discovery Channel in the US.

She was the first woman Head of News and Current Affairs for a television network, leading Network Ten’s suite of programs including News at Five, Sports Tonight, Meet the Press, and The Last Shout — a forerunner to the long-running ABC program The Insiders. Carmel has also produced hundreds of hours of children’s programming, including Crocadoo, Gloria’s House, Wicked, and Poetica, as well as feature films such as The Magic Pudding, starring John Cleese, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving, and Toni Collette.

A founder and executive of multiple production companies, including Beyond International, Energee Entertainment, Essential Media, Purple Pictures, and most recently Pop Family Entertainment, Carmel has produced acclaimed documentaries such as Red Flag Over Tibet, Climate in Crisis, Refugee Like Me, and The Great Wall of Iron. Her work has earned international recognition, including the ACE Cable Award, the George Peabody Prize, the United Nations Media Peace Prize, and AACTA nominations.

In addition to her production work, Carmel is an in-demand speaker and MC, presenting to corporate and community audiences across Australia on topics including climate change, women in science, diversity in the workplace, and leadership. She has delivered the oration for International Women’s Day in South Australia at the invitation of Senator Penny Wong and opened major conferences such as the Australian Communications and Media Authority conference.

Currently, Carmel is Executive Producer of a new drama series for Netflix worldwide and the Nine Network in Australia, continuing her legacy as a visionary leader in media and storytelling.