Born in Manly, northern Sydney, Jamie spent most of his childhood in the mining town of Tom Price in north Western Australia. Like most Australians, he loves the outdoors and designs spaces that recognise the crucial role nature plays in nurturing our wellbeing. Jamie draws inspiration from the natural form, including the vast natural beauty and drama of the Australian landscape, extensive international travel and his passion for Eastern culture and lifestyle through his Sri Lankan heritage. He successfully combines these elements to create his own unique style and approach to garden design.
Undoubtedly one of Australia’s most successful exports and recognisable talents, Jamie has featured in over thirty television shows worldwide. In Australia, he’s hosted many top-rating programs, including The Outdoor Room, Australia’s Best Backyards, Backyard Blitz—for which he received the Logie award for Most Popular Male Talent, as well as six consecutive Logie awards for Most Popular Lifestyle Program—The Block, Torvill and Dean’s Dancing on Ice, and most recently he was a host and judge on Top Design. In the USA, Jamie’s show The Outdoor Room, which launched on HGTV in 2010, is now in its fourth season of production. He also hosts White Room Challenge, HGTV Dream Home, HGTV Green Home, HGTV’d, Bang for Your Buck, HGTV Showdown, and America’s longest running gardening program The Victory Garden, which airs on PBS. Jamie also appeared regularly on The Oprah Winfrey Show offering garden advice and inspiration following his first appearance on the show in 2006. In 2012, Jamie featured in a documentary on Cirque du Soleil for Australia television.
Jamie also designs a range of outdoor furniture and gardening products (PATIO by Jamie Durie, available exclusively through Big W Australia), paint range (Jamie Durie Signature by Porters Paints), and indoor and outdoor rug collections (Jamie Durie Signature by The Rug Collection). He has also developed an iPhone app, Garden Design with Jamie Durie, which will be released in 2012.
An advocate for conserving our natural surroundings and environmental future, Jamie is passionately involved with environment and charity work. Each year he donates his time and resources to many charities, including FSHD, the Children’s Cancer Institute and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. He trained with former Vice President Al Gore as a Climate Project Presenter, and is an Ambassador for PLAN International, the Children’s Cancer Institute, Planet Ark, National Tree Day, the Forest Stewardship Council and Earth Hour. He also hosted the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Spirituality and Sustainability Forum with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and is an ambassador and former board member of the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney.
