Architecture and design enthusiast Tim Ross grew up in the suburbs, and ever since he was eight, when he found himself drawn to a family friends’ very groovy conversation pit, he has been thinking about homes and what makes a good one. 

In The Australian Dream? Tim Ross casts his discerning eye across the archival treasures of our much-loved public libraries and uncovers the telling images that reveal a multi-decade story of Australian homes: how they’re sold to us, why we buy them and how we make them our own. Ross explores the reasons why home ownership is such an all-consuming distraction among Australians and uncovers some of the unique and special ways we have built in this place 

Tickets to this event are $57.50 for general admission. Bookings are essential.

About Tim Ross

He may be best known for his work on TV and radio (at different times hosting both the number one breakfast and drive shows in Sydney) but comedian Tim Ross has also always had a passion for architecture and design. 

Since hanging up his radio headphones, Tim has created and presented the award-winning Streets Of Your Town and two series of Designing a Legacy for ABC-TV, not to mention authoring three bestselling books – Scorcher, Motel and The Rumpus Room. 

In addition to regularly hosting his local pre-school’s annual fundraiser, Tim has performed live in more than 100 architecturally significant buildings across Australia, the UK and US. In 2018, Tim was awarded the National Trust Heritage Award for Advocacy, which recognised his activism in drawing attention to Australia’s legacy of modernist architecture and promoting its conservation. In 2019, he was awarded the National President’s Prize from the Australian Institute of Architects, to 'recognise him for his advocacy, activism and outstanding contribution to the architecture profession', which was followed by an honorary fellow of the Institute in 2022. 

Tim’s interest in architecture has led to speaking engagements at The ’50s and ’60s House Symposium (Museum of Sydney), Home Series talks (Government House), Sydney Design Week, the London Design Museum, Culture of Lates Symposium in London, the Heritage Address in Melbourne and the prestigious Griffin Lecture at the National Press Club in Canberra. In 2018, he partnered with the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney to curate his first exhibition, Design Nation. Tim has written on architecture for various publications including Real Living, Habitus, The Saturday Paper, The Smith Journal and The Guardian.