Tim Robertson

Robertson was born in Braintree, Essex, England, in 1944. He relocated to Australia in 1952.

He was a graduate of the University of Western Australia (1965).^[1] After graduating, he taught drama at various institutions including Antioch College in the US (1967-1968) and Flinders University in Adelaide (1969-1972) where he also began adapting and directing plays.^[1][2]

In 1972, he joined the Australian Performing Group at the Pram Factory in Melbourne, where he wrote, acted and directed plays.^[1]

Robertson made his first onscreen appearance in 1974 on the television series Rush. The same year he also featured in the cult Ozploitation horror film The Cars That Ate Paris.

He is known for his role as Arthur West in the 1976 award-winning drama miniseries Power Without Glory. From 1983 to 1984, he played various roles in the comedy series Australia You're Standing In It. He then appeared in the 1987 Kennedy Miller miniseries Vietnam alongside Nicole Kidman in one of her early roles. From 1991 to 1992, Robertson had a regular role as Jack Taylor in the risqué soap opera Chances. He also appeared in two roles in police procedural crime drama series Stingers from 1999 to 2003.

Robertson had numerous television guest roles in series such as Matlock Police, Homicide, Rush, Division 4, Bluey, The Sullivans, Skyways, Cop Shop, Young Ramsay, Special Squad, Carson's Law, Prisoner, Rafferty's Rules, Round the Twist, Neighbours, The Flying Doctors, Ocean Girl, Halifax f.p., Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, CrashBurn and Last Man Standing.

He also starred in several miniseries including Tandarra (1976), Against the Wind (1978), Scales of Justice (1983), The Heroes (1989) and All the Rivers Run II (1990).

Robertson appeared in numerous films throughout his career. Early films included Petersen (1974) with Jack Thompson, football comedy The Great MacArthy (1975), Fred Schepisi's The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978), John Duigan's Dimboola (1979) and biographical drama Phar Lap (1983).

He appeared in the 1987 coming-of-age John Duigan film The Year My Voice Broke starring Ben Mendelsohn and Noah Taylor. The following year he was in Evil Angels opposite Meryl Streep and Sam Neill. He appeared opposite Mendelsohn again in the 1990 hit comedy The Big Steal and the 1997 drama Amy. He was then in the 1999 film Holy Smoke with Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel.

Later films included 2001 comedies He Died with a Felafel in His Hand alongside Noah Taylor and The Man Who Sued God opposite Billy Connolly and Judy Davis, the 2010 drama Matching Jack, the 2011 film The Eye of the Storm opposite Geoffrey Rush and the 2014 Angus Sampson comedy The Mule.

In 2001, he published a history of the Pram Factory.^[3]

On 2 January 2026, it was announced that Robertson had died at the age of 81.^[4]