The Rumpus Room And Other Stories From The Suburbs
Humorous Non-Fiction Australiana Collectibles Illustrated Books Australian Memoir Nostalgia & Retro Culture Suburban Life 1980s History
The Rumpus Room And Other Stories From The Suburbs is Tim Ross’s warm, laugh-out-loud memoir of growing up in 1980s Australia, told in the same self-deprecating voice that made him a favourite on ABC radio. Across 98 generously illustrated pages, Rosso recalls the rumpus rooms, Hills-hoist cricket matches, burnt snags, and sun-faded beach towels that defined a generation of Aussie kids, turning everyday suburban relics into charming pieces of social history. Readers hunting for Australian nostalgia books, retro design inspiration, or a gift that screams “I grew up in the burbs” will find every story rings true and instantly sharable.
What makes this 2017 Brio Books paperback collectible is its scarcity in the second-hand market and the original illustrations that never appeared in later reprints. At 210 mm square it sits perfectly on a mid-century coffee table, while the tight, unmarked binding shows only a minor surface tear on the rear cover—small enough that it still presents beautifully in a sleeve. No ex-library stamps, no inscriptions, no dog-eared corners: it’s a clean copy ready to slide straight into a curated shelf of Australiana or pop-culture memoirs.
Fans of Ross’s radio work will recognise the same sharp comic timing, but the printed page lets his eye for design detail shine—tile patterns, rumpus-room bar stools, and the unmistakable sound of a screen door spring—making the book a time-capsule for interior stylists and retro renovators as well as readers. Whether you’re a collector of modern Australian first editions, a gift-buyer searching for the ultimate “secret-Santa” for a forty-something, or simply craving a short, funny hit of childhood memories, this copy of The Rumpus Room delivers an unbeatable dose of suburban Australiana in mint, gently-loved condition.
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