THE man behind the popular Australian children's television character Mr Squiggle has died aged 89.

Norman Hetherington's career spanned over seven decades, including cartooning in The Bulletin alongside luminaries like Norman Lindsay, The Courier-Mail reports.

Mr Squiggle, the moon-dwelling marionette with a pencil for a nose who completed "squiggles", sent in by young viewers, first appeared on ABC TV in 1959.

The show was one of the ABC's longest running children's series, entertaining generations of children during its 40-year run until 1999.

Hetherington was born in 1921 in Lilyfield, New South Wales.

Earlier this year Hetherington told of slowing down after decades of bringing Mr Squiggle and his cohorts - Blackboard, Gus the Snail and Bill the Steam Shovel - into the imaginations of children across Australia.

"You have to draw the line somewhere . . . and Squiggle, ah, draws it," he told The Courier-Mail, after decades of bringing Mr Squiggle and his cohorts - Blackboard, Gus the Snail and Bill the Steam Shovel - into the imaginations of children across Australia.

In June, ABC's Collectors program featured a segment Hetherington and his collection of 400 puppets.

Among them was the original Mr Squiggle string puppet and a rod puppet version which is worked from below like Jim Henson's muppets.

Hetherington told The Courier-Mail despite Mr Squiggle's enduring popularity, the puppet wasn't universally adored by children - some were quite scared of him and especially the rocket ship he blasted off in.

"I used to hear they were scared of Rocket and the rocket noise - and of Blackboard being cranky," Hetherington said.

"They used the rocket sound effect to start with and then they decided a musical effect of some sort would be less menacing."



The ABC reports that Hetherington is survived by his wife, a son, a daughter and two grandchildren, and his funeral service is expected to be held next Monday.