Generations of Australians have known Mr Squiggle, a puppet with a pencil for a nose, lived at 93 Crater Crescent on the moon.
But as of Monday, Squiggle – who landed on the set of his children’s television show aired by the ABC from 1959 to 1999 in a rocket at the start of each episode – will have a new home at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
The museum acquired the life’s work of Norman Hetherington, the creator of Mr Squiggle, after his daughter and the last presenter of the show, Rebecca Hetherington, entrusted the collection to it.
The original Mr Squiggle puppet and more than 800 objects, including fellow puppets, artworks, scripts, costumes, props, sets, production notes, merchandise and audiovisual material, have become part of the National Historical Collection.
Mr Squiggle and Rocket will be on show at the National Museum from 29 April to 16 May 2024, with a larger exhibition about one of the nation’s longest running television series now in development.
Hetherington worked as a cartoonist at the Bulletin from 1945 to 1961, alongside pursuing his interest in puppetry through shows in theatres, department stores and preschools around Sydney – where he was approached by the ABC TV training school as it prepared for the introduction of television and the beginning of ABC TV.
Hetherington’s puppets Nicky and Noodle appeared on the opening night of ABC TV on 5 November 1956.
He went on to create Mr Squiggle and Friends, which first aired on 1 July 1959 and ran for 40 years with its final episode on 9 July 1999, during which time he completed more than 10,000 drawings from the squiggles sent in by Australian children.
Katherine McMahon, the director of the National Museum, said her excitement was personal.
“Mr Squiggle was a feature of my childhood and I, along with generations of Australian children, was enchanted and inspired to draw by Mr Squiggle,” she said.
“We can’t wait to share the collection with Australia and give grandparents and parents the opportunity to revisit their childhoods and share their memories with today’s little ones.”
Dr Sophie Jensen, a senior curator at the museum, said the collection was “a fascinating glimpse into one of the most original and creative minds our country has produced”.
“The richness, diversity and magic of this collection is a direct reflection of Hetherington’s particular genius,” Jensen said. “We are looking forward to bringing all of this to light as we research and document the collection and make it available for everyone to enjoy.”
Rebecca Hetherington said she was happy her father’s collection has found a home at the museum “so that it can stay together and retain its character and significance”.
“My father was one of a kind,” she said. “He combined unceasing artistic energy and creativity with technical ingenuity, an amazing work ethic, whimsy, kindness, humour and a wonderful imagination.”
Norman Hetherington died on 6 December 2010. He was the inaugural president of the Australian Puppetry Guild when it was founded in 1969 and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 1990 “for service to children’s television programs and puppetry”.
