Remember Mr Squiggle? You can see him in Canberra now!

Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
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Two cultural giants have arrived in Canberra.

As a child of the 90s, I don’t have enough time to count the hours I spent with my siblings watching Mr Squiggle, the enthusiastic, pencil-nosed, artistic man from the moon. Even after I was too old to delight in guessing what the random lines and dots might turn into, watching the bubbly Mr Squiggle and listening to the dull, gloomy tones of his blackboard was a soothing way to relax after school. Well, it’s time to whip out the nostalgia because Mr Squiggle is coming to the National Museum in Canberra.

Until 13 October 2025, the free exhibition Mr Squiggle and Friends: The Creative World of Norman Hetherington is putting this beloved puppet front and centre, to celebrate his ABC TV show of the same name that aired from 1959 to 1999.

Mr Squiggle is joined by other iconic characters of the show: Blackboard, Rocket, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail. And, of course, the mastermind behind the hit TV show Norman Hetherington, whose collection of more than 800 objects, including puppets, artworks, scripts, costumes, props and sets was acquired by the  National Museum in 2024 and forms the main part of the exhibition.

“We can’t wait to share this exhibition with parents and grandparents who grew up with  Mr Squiggle and allow them to reconnect with their childhoods, and to bring along the next generation to experience Norman Hetherington’s particular whimsy, humour and magic,"  said National Museum director Katherine McMahon.

squid games korean tv show
Discover the shows, music and fashion making waves from Korea.

After finishing in Canberra, the key puppets in the show will tour nationally. While the National Museum turns to an entirely new cultural phenomenon: the Korean ‘wave’. From megastars of K-pop and K-drama, to the Oscar-winning film Parasite and hit Netflix show Squid Game, to singer and rapper PSY, who gave the world dance hit Gangnam Style: exhibition, Hallyu! The Korean Wave will run exclusively in Australia at the National Museum (the first time in the Southern Hemisphere) from 12 December 2025 to 10 May 2026.

The exhibition will be accompanied by live Korean music, dance, and food for a full immersion into the Korean cultural experience.

Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
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Win a $2148 getaway to experience the best of The Bellarine

    Australian TravellerBy Australian Traveller
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