The Australian Dream? with Tim Ross

From the ‘burbs, to the bush, to the inner city, Australians are obsessed with the idea of home and the dream of home ownership. Architecture and design enthusiast Tim Ross grew up in the suburbs, and ever since he was 8, 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. A funny and factual talk based on 18 months of research, it includes a selection of new cinematic style films produced specially for this project. One tells the never-before-heard story of the 1980s home designed by Glenn Murcutt for celebrated artist Ken Done – a building full of the optimism of those times. Another spotlights Winter Park, a groundbreaking early-1970s cluster housing development by architect Graeme Gunn and Merchant Builders in the Melbourne suburb of Doncaster, where a group of homeowners still foster a sense of community around shared spaces and a respect for the natural beauty of the Australian landscape. The boom of architect-designed homes for the masses is also told through the story of Nino Sydney and his iconic Beachcomber home, delivered for the price of two cars. Fast-forwarding to today, Tim goes in search of new housing models and finds Nightingale, a people-first housing development company where community harmony and environmental values are more important than profit and loss. Australia is a nation that is undeniably fixated on property, but increasingly the headlines are about housing scarcity, affordability, and mortgage pain. For many Australians, owning a home now seems like an unattainable dream. So, what can we learn from our past to help solve the problems of the future, and how can we reimagine the Australian Dream? This is Tim Ross doing what he does best: telling human stories anchored by his passion for Australian design, previously showcased in his ABC TV shows Designing a Legacy and Streets Of Your Town. The Australian Dream? is presented in partnership with the National Library of Australia, State Library of Queensland, State Library Victoria, State Library of New South Wales and State Library of Western Australia.