If you grew up in Australia any time between the 1960s and the late 1990s, chances are you knew a little man from the Moon with a pencil for a nose. His name was Mr Squiggle. Every week he would float down to Earth in his rocket to turn random scribbles into magical drawings.

Mr Squiggle was a ritual for Australian kids. He was a mix of creativity, patience and whimsy that made him one of television’s most unlikely treasures.

Now, more than six decades since his debut, Mr Squiggle is back in the spotlight.

The National Museum of Australia’s Mr Squiggle and Friends: The Creative World of Norman Hetherington is a heartwarming, family-friendly exhibition that pays tribute to one of Australia’s most beloved children’s television icons.

The 300 items on display are a nostalgic yet vibrant journey rooted in the museum’s 2024 acquisition of 800 items from Mr Squigggle’s creator, Norman Hetherington, donated by his daughter Rebecca.

Hetherington was born in New South Wales in 1921. After graduating high school, he entered art school. During the second world war, Hetherington worked with the Australian Army Entertainment Unit,........

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