Jamie
Durie

Speaker Profile

Jamie Durie is a qualified horticulturalist and landscape designer and founder and Director of the international award-winning company PATIO Landscape Architecture & Design. He is also a television host and producer, the author of seven best-selling titles (Outside, The Source Book Editions 1 and 2, Inspired, Outdoor Kids, The Outdoor Room and Patio-Garden Design and Inspiration), and has his own successful line of merchandised product PATIO by Jamie Durie, available exclusively through Big W. A committed environmentalist and pioneer of 'The Outdoor Room' concept in Australia, Jamie has completely changed the face of landscape design, inspiring a whole new generation to rediscover their garden.

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 his deep connection with nature guides him in creating the ultimate outdoor living spaces. His inspiration comes from the vast natural beauty of the Australian landscape, extensive international travel and a 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 recognisable talents, Jamie has hosted many of Australia's top-rating television 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 and Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice.

In the US, Jamie's new show The Outdoor Room, launched on HGTV in January. He also hosted the dynamic design makeover show HGTV Showdown, as well as America's longest running gardening program The Victory Garden, which airs on PBS, and appears regularly on The Oprah Winfrey Show offering garden advice and inspiration.

An advocate for preserving our natural surroundings and environmental future, Jamie is also passionately involved with environmental and charity work. He trained with former Vice President Al Gore as a Climate Change Ambassador and regularly participates in environmental lectures around the world. He is an Ambassador for PLAN International, the Children's Cancer Institute, Planet Ark and National Tree Day. 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 Foundation, Sydney.

Some of Jamie's notable achievements and personal highlights include:
- 32 garden design awards both nationally and internationally;
- Best-selling author of six garden design and inspiration books, including;
- Large-scale designs and resorts around the world, including the US, Spain, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Morocco and Dubai;
- Awarded a Centenary Medal for services to Television and the Australian Community by the then Prime Minister of Australia Mr John Howard;
- Ambassador for Plan International for six years;
- Ambassador for Children's Cancer Institute for seven years;
- Ambassador for Planet Ark for 14 years and Planet Ark's National Tree Day for 10 years;
- Completed the Al Gore Climate Project Training course and is now an official Al Gore Climate Change Presenter;
- Hosted the Australian Conservation Foundation's Spirituality and Sustainability Forum with His Holiness the Dalai Lama;
- Foundation Individual Logie award for Most Popular Male New Talent;
- Six consecutive Logie awards for Backyard Blitz for Most Popular Lifestyle Program;
- Executive Producer for Jamie's Journey – Hope for Uganda's Children, produced in conjunction with Plan International (Child Sponsorship Agency) for HIV Aids awareness in Uganda (aired on the Nine Network Australia);
- Invited to exhibit and compete at international garden shows around the world including Australia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia and most recently, the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in the UK.

Here are just some of the awards Jamie Durie or PATIO Landscape Architecture & Design have received:
- Gold medal – Chelsea Flower Show, London (2008)
- Gold medal – Sydney in Bloom, Australia
- Gold medal – Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Australia
- Gold medal – Singapore Garden Show, Singapore
- Gold medal – Ellerslie International Flower Show, New Zealand
- Second place – Pacific Flora International (World Garden Competition), Japan
- Silver medal – Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Australia

Travels from New South Wales