HETHERINGTON, Norman Frederick
| Service Number: | NX131018 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 May 1941, Burwood, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 2 Divisional Concert Party |
| Born: | Lilyfield, New South Wales, Australia, 29 May 1921 |
| Home Town: | Burwood, Burwood, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Burwood Public School, Sydney Fort Street Boys' High School, East Sydney Technical College |
| Occupation: | Commercial Artist |
| Died: | Natural Causes, Greenwich, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 6 December 2010, aged 89 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 16 May 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Corporal, NX131018, 2 Divisional Concert Party, Burwood, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 May 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Corporal, NX131018 |
Help us honour Norman Frederick Hetherington's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Frederick HETHERINGTON and Ellen Mary nee MARKWELL, 35 Meryle Street, Burwood, NSW
Norman Hetherington’s most famous creation is the beloved Mr Squiggle – but that’s just the tip of his great creative career.
From puppetry to cartooning, Norman’s life was a canvas of creativity. Some of his career highlights include:
: Serving in the Army Entertainment Unit during the Second World War
: Cartooning for the Bulletin
: Performing in amateur theatre productions
: And of course, delighting audiences with his puppet shows!
Norman Frederick Hetherington OAM (1921 - 2010) was an Australian artist, teacher, cartoonist (known as "Heth"), puppeteer, and puppet designer. He is best remembered as the creator of Mr. Squiggle, one of Australia's longest running children's shows.
Born in Sydney, he contributed his first cartoon to 'The Bulletin' while still at high school, before studying art at East Sydney Technical College in the late 1930's. He joined the Citizens Military Force in 1941, and enlisted in the Second AIF in 1942. Despite having enlisted in the infantry, his talent as a cartoonist and performer was quickly recognised, and he was moved across to the Army Entertainment Unit, Second Division Concert Party, later called the number 4 Detachment of the 1st Australian Army Entertainment Unit. During the war he served in Dutch New Guinea, New Guinea, New Britain, and in the Torres Strait Islands, all the time drawing, painting and cartooning.
Hetherington joined the Bulletin full time after his war service, and began to experiment with puppetry. His television career at the ABC began in 1956; Mr Squiggle was so successful that it ran from 1959 for 40 years.
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