Comedian  Tim Ross has had a remarkable career in televisions and radio but he’s always had a passion for architecture and design.

Over more recent years, he has performed his live Man About the House show in architecturally-significant buildings and homes all over the world.

Skilfully combining comedy, nostalgia, architecture, design and storytelling. These shows have toured Australia, New Zealand and the UK, where his talks have been a regular fixture for London Festival of Architecture for almost a decade. 

Tim passionately supports important issues in Australian architecture and design, and has been awarded an honorary membership and the prestigious President’s Prize from the Australian Institute of Architects. He’s delivered the Griffin lecture and is the recipient of both the Heritage Award and the Advocacy Award from the National Trust. 

His two-part series on Australian architecture, Streets of Your Town, premiered on ABC TV in November 2016 to rave reviews, and quickly became the most watched arts program on the ABC for the year. 

Tim’s latest TV series about why architecture matters, Designing A Legacy, featuring Australian families whose lives have been shaped within the walls of modern masterpieces and poses the question of what will happen to these legacy homes, went to air in February 2021, to rave reviews.

A second series of Designing A Legacy, with a broader look at Australian architecture aired on ABC in June 2023. 

In 2025 he teamed up with our state and national libraries to present The Australian Dream? - a talk with cinematic films looking at our enduring obsession with home ownership. The Australian Dream? has also become a touring exhibition for the State Library of NSW. 

His other exhibitions include The Practical Outsider, a retrospective on the work of architect John Andrews and Motel with the National Archives of Australia and Design Nation with The Powerhouse Museum, 

Tim has written a number of books including his memoir, Mum had a Kingswood. The Rumpus Room, Scorcher and Bewdy all embrace Australian life with a collection of short stories. Whilst Motel – Images of Australia on Holidays and recent release Chuck a U-ey – Images of Australians and their cars, explore our past through images of the National Archives. 

What A Ripper! 60 everyday objects that shaped Australia was released in 2025 and its mix of nostalgia and Australian design history quickly made it a best seller. 

Tim has hosted a number of podcasts including Constant for the National Art Gallery which looked at our enduring connection to Australian art. The Tapestries for Sydney Opera House uncovered the extraordinary stories behind the Utzon, Coburn and Le Corbusier tapestries in our world famous venue. Cars that Made Australia, a history podcast successfully examined our enduring connection to the automobile. 

Tim hosted Kevin McCloud In Conversation to a sold outaudienceat the Sydney Opera House, celebrated for their rapport and humour. This has led to the creation of Tim and Kev’s Big Design Adventure which has quickly become the number one Design podcast in the country.