Hurry Up! TV’s favourite puppet, Squiggle gets new home at National Museum
Mr Squiggle, the marionette from the moon who entertained generations of Australian children, has a new home at the National Museum.
(AAP101) 26 November, 1999 - Century TV Kids: Mr. Squiggle. (Photo: ABC TV)
The beloved children’s television show, which first aired in July 1959, featured Mr Squiggle arriving in his spacecraft and making impromptu drawings using his pencil nose – with Blackboard telling him to “Hurry up!” every so often.
The original Mr Squiggle, along with his fellow puppets Blackboard, Rocket, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail, have become part of the museum collection.
More than 800 squiggle-related objects, such as scripts, props and production notes have also been acquired.
Mr Squiggle and Friends was the life’s work of multi-talented puppeteer Norman Hetherington, who also voiced the program’s characters.
The show also featured his daughter Rebecca Hetherington as the show’s last presenter “Miss Rebecca”, and she worked with museum curators for years to establish the Norman Hetherington collection.
“My father was one of a kind. He combined unceasing artistic energy and creativity with technical ingenuity, an amazing work ethic, whimsy, kindness, humour and a wonderful imagination,” she said.
Norman Hetherington joined the army in 1942, working as a performer and cartoonist with the Army Entertainment Unit, and during the 1940s he also worked as a cartoonist for The Bulletin and as a freelance designer and illustrator.
He then created and performed his own puppet shows around Australia, and joined the ABC TV Training School, with his early puppets Nicky and Noodle appearing on the very first night of ABC television on November 5, 1956.
Mr Squiggle was on Australian television for four decades, with the program’s final episode airing on July 9, 1999.
Norman Hetherington completed more than 10,000 drawings during that time – many of them upside down.
Senior museum curator Dr Sophie Jensen said the collection was an extremely significant addition to the national historical collection.
“The range of the collection items offers a fascinating glimpse into one of the most original and creative minds our country has produced,” she said.
Mr Squiggle and Rocket will be on show at the museum until May 16 to celebrate the acquisition of the collection, while a larger exhibition is being developed.