A drive down to Canberra these school holidays will also spark a trip down memory lane for many.
A mainstay in children’s television over 40 years, Mr Squiggle will be the star of a new exhibition at the National Museum of Australia.
National Museum Director Katherine McMahon said the show celebrated one of Australia’s most loved children’s television characters, who shared the screen with the cantankerous Blackboard until 1999.
Ms McMahon said Mr Squiggle and Friends: The Creative World of Norman Hetherington opened tomorrow (July 4) and promised to take visitors on a warm-hearted, nostalgic journey.
She said Mr Squiggle was considered Australian TV royalty and captivated and inspired generations of Australian children to draw, with his distinctive pencil for a nose, charming banter and ability to turn a simple squiggle into a masterpiece.
“Norman Hetherington was the creative genius behind Mr Squiggle and enjoyed a rich career as a wartime entertainer, cartoonist, artist, performer and puppeteer.”
Ms McMahon said the exhibition featured nearly 300 objects drawn from the Norman Hetherington collection acquired by the National Museum last year.
“Mr Squiggle and Friends explores Hetherington’s whimsy, humour and magic, and takes visitors behind the scenes to experience more than 90 puppets, as well as wartime artworks, colourful theatre props and costumes.”
Mr Squiggle and Friends: The Creative World of Norman Hetherington is open from July 4 to October 13, 2025.
