Tim Ferguson

Timothy Dorcen Langbene Ferguson[2] grew up in Singapore, and later on a rural property near the town of Perthville, New South Wales.

[3] He is the son of Tony Ferguson, who was a Vietnam War correspondent, the first reporter to release news of the Tet Offensive to the world media.

Tony became executive producer of This Day Tonight and Four Corners at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and network liaison for the ABC's managing director, David Hill.

[5] Ferguson's first major appearance was as a member of the musical comedy trio Doug Anthony All Stars, along with Richard Fidler and Paul McDermott, on the UK Channel 4 television show Friday Night Live, Viva Cabaret, 'DAAS Love' (BBC), where they quickly gained a following.

Ferguson wrote a comedic alternative to the Australian Constitution Preamble, published by The Sydney Morning Herald in 1999, ending with the words "We are girt by sea and pissed by lunchtime.

In 2017, Ferguson co-wrote the feature film The BBQ starring Shane Jacobson, Julia Zemiro and Magda Szubanski.

In 2012 he toured his live standup comedy show "Carry a Big Stick", featuring tales and songs from his life on the 'comedy warpath'.

Ferguson was a sessional lecturer in Screenwriting and Writing TV Comedy at RMIT University,[15][16][17] the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS).

Ferguson's autobiography Carry a Big Stick: A Life of Laughter, Friendship and MS[21] was published by Hachette in September 2013.

He co-wrote and hosted eight series and multiple one-hour specials of Network Ten's Unreal TV and Foxtel's long-running sci-fi fan-show Space Cadets.

Ferguson's artworks (known as "Tim Awt") were featured in various Sydney exhibitions in January 2018, curated by Australian art legend, Damien Minton.

He is a patron of MS Australia, and an ambassador for Pandis, a not-for-profit initiative investigating environmental pathogenic microbes in chronic disease.

[26] Along with former members of DAAS, Ferguson featured in an ABC documentary called Tick F***ing Tock, concerning the ravages caused to his life and health, and the impacts on those close to him, owing to his multiple sclerosis.

[27] Ferguson announced on an episode of Good News Week in 2010 that he has multiple sclerosis (MS), which required him to occasionally use a walking cane.

His show at the 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival was called "Carry a Big Stick", an allusion to his MS.[15] Ferguson's condition has since progressed further and he now uses a wheelchair.

[35] Established in 2006, the key aim of the Summer Foundation is to change human service policy and practice related to young people in nursing homes.

His work fundraising and raising awareness is ongoing for motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and acquired brain injury conditions.

In February 2018, Ferguson apologised via his management to TV critic Candace Sutton for a series of abusive letters containing numerous rude remarks, faxed to her in 1990, with cartoons drawn by him.

In the 1990 Australian federal election, Ferguson stood as an independent candidate for the seat of Kooyong, against the Leader of the Opposition, Andrew Peacock.

Ferguson performing with the Doug Anthony All Stars in 1994.
Ferguson (left) performing with the reformed Doug Anthony All-Stars in 2014.