# Scott McGregor (television presenter)

Scott McGregor (born 22 October 1957) is an Australian actor and television presenter.

## Early life

Scott McGregor was born in Orange, New South Wales where his parents Douglas and Joyce McGregor owned a farm and managed The Central Western Daily newspaper. In 1969 the family moved to Mudgee when his parents purchased the Mudgee Guardian.
Scott was educated at Mudgee High School and The Scots College in Sydney. He commenced studying communications at the then Mitchell College of Advanced Education in Bathurst. Now part of Charles Sturt University, before being accepted into the National Institute of Dramatic Art where he graduated in 1979.

## Career
### Stage

In the 1980s McGregor had leading stage acting roles in productions of the Perth Playhouse, Queensland Theatre Company, Marian Street Theatre and Nimrod Theatre Company.

### Television

From 1980 to early 2000s McGregor had acting roles in many Australian television series including The Young Doctors, Skyways, The Sullivans, Cop Shop, A Country Practice, Sons and Daughters, Police Rescue, Home and Away, Water Rats and All Saints.
During the 1980s he had lead roles in the epic ABC mini-series 1915, the Coral Island and Chase Through the Night and was nominated for the best actor award in the 1983 Logies for his role as Walter Gilchrist in 1915. He had numerous film and radio appearances and was one of the Bouncers in the highly successful national tour of the play of the same name in 1985/86.

### Presenting

From the 1997 McGregor turned to presenting lifestyle television as a travel and collectables presenter on The Lifestyle Channel programs Out and About, Australian Living and Australian Collections. From 2000 to 2003 he was a DIY presenter on Better Homes and Gardens and from 2002 to 2004 hosted the home renovation series Room for Improvement on the Seven Network.
In 1999 he combined television presenting with his interest in railways by hosting the travel series Railway Adventures Across Australia for Channel 10. In 2004 he followed up with the series Down The Line with Scott McGregor covering railway journeys in Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam. Both series have sold extensively in markets around the world and have had enormously successful video and DVD releases.
In 2005 McGregor presented Australian Icon Towns made for The History Channel. A second series was broadcast from January 2007.

### Books

McGregor is also a published author, having written two books: 'Fix It: How to Do All Those Little Repair Jobs Around Your Home' (2007) And 'Big Boys' Toys: Blokes and their Magnificent Obsessions' (2008).

## Interest in railways

McGregor had a keen interest in railways since childhood. From the 1980s he started collecting railway memorabilia, including several vintage railway carriages which he restored on his property, 'Ruwenzori', near Mudgee NSW. By 1989 he had collected so much he decided to sell some and opened a stall called 'Off The Rails' at the now closed 'Chelsea House' antiques emporium in Camperdown, New South Wales. Branches were later opened at Sydney's Central Railway Station and in Balmain. In 1992 a new 'Off The Rails' shop was opened in Newtown. It moved again to a larger shop and restoration workshop at Camperdown.
In 2005 McGregor opened his country property as tourist accommodation. 'Ruwenzori Retreat' is perched on the Great Dividing Range, north of Mudgee and is made up of a collection of 9 vintage carriages (a number of which date back to the 1890s), with the 3 main carriages restored as the luxury guest accommodation. The 50 acre property also has station buildings, track, signals, a plethora of memorabilia and a network of bush tracks.
Ruwenzori Retreat has featured on TV programs such Getaway, Today, World's Most Extreme Homes, Bricks and Mortar and many others. McGregor and his Ruwenzori railway collection have also appeared on the ABC TV program Collectors.
McGregor now runs a railway tour company, 'Railway Adventures' which he founded in 2012.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1983 | Chase Through the Night | Yorkie | TV movie |
| 1995 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie | Security Guard | Feature film |
| 2002 | The Nugget | Derek McLeod | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| | The Young Doctors | | TV series |
| | Skyways | | TV series |
| 1980–1981 | Cop Shop | Constable Stephen Waters | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 1981 | The Sullivans | Jerry Halpern | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1981; 1982; 1986; 1992 | A Country Practice | Brett Hill / Paul Higgins / Ray Wallace / Peter Gleeson | TV series, 9 episodes |
| 1982 | 1915 | Walter Gilchrist | Miniseries, 7 episodes |
| 1983 | The Coral Island | Jack | Miniseries, 9 episodes |
| 1983 | Carson's Law | Ron | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1984–1985 | Sons and Daughters | Robin Elliott | TV series, 34 episodes |
| 1985–86 | Five Mile Creek | Edward Armstrong | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1988 | True Believers | Jim Comerford | Miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Heroes II: The Return | Corporal Claire Stewart | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Police Rescue | Det Sgt Tony Wilson | TV series |
| 1994 | The Ferals | Fireman | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Eat My Shorts | Head | TV series |
| 1995 | Echo Point | Clive McInery | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1993; 1996 | G.P. | Ron King / Colin Hodges | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Home and Away | Keith Williams | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Big Sky | Owner | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | The Adventures of Sam | Voice | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Children’s Hospital | Ray Reynolds | TV series, 1 episode |
| | Out and About | Presenter | TV series |
| | Australian Living | Presenter | TV series |
| | Australian Collections | Presenter | TV series |
| 1998 | Water Rats | Rob Jennings | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1998–2000 | Search for Treasure Island | Paul Raymond | TV series, 8 episodes |
| 1999 | Railway Adventures Across Australia | Host | TV series |
| 2000–2003 | Better Homes and Gardens | DIY presenter | TV series |
| 2002 | All Saints | Steve Brooker | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2002–2004 | Room for Improvement | Host | TV series |
| 2004 | Down The Line with Scott McGregor | Host | TV series |
| 2005 | Australian Icon Towns | Host | TV series, 1 episode (History Channel) |
| 2005–2006 | Blue Water High | Harvey | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2008 | The Stamp of Australia | Host | TV special (History Channel) |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1979 | The Three Sisters | | Jane Street Theatre with NIDA |
| 1979 | Lower Depths | | NIDA Theatre |
| 1979 | The Beggar’s Opera | | NIDA Theatre, Playhouse, Canberra |
| 1979 | The Ballad of the Sad Café | | NIDA Theatre |
| 1980 | Under Milk Wood | | Playhouse, Perth |
| 1980 | Loot | Hal | Playhouse, Perth |
| 1982 | Saturday Sunday Monday | Rocco, the younger son | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre |
| 1982 | The Tempest | Ferdinand | Albert Park Amphitheatre, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre |
| 1984 | Stage Struck | | Marian Street Theatre with Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust |
| 1985; 1986 | Bouncers | Walter | Seymour Centre, Universal Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1986 | The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ | | Melbourne Athenaeum |
| 1987 | Tartuffe | | Seymour Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1987 | The Winter's Tale | | Seymour Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1987 | The Golden Age | | Seymour Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1987 | Les Liaisons Dangereuses | | Seymour Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1988 | Faces in the Street | | Seymour Centre for Sydney Festival |
| 1988 | Drums of Thunder | | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 1996 | Down an Alley Filled With Cats | | Marian Street Theatre for Sydney Festival |