Marionette Theatre of Australia Collection with Ehive
Our Special Collections comprise rare or unique groups of materials requiring specialised care, handling, or description. These collections represent significant cultural, historical, or artistic value and are preserved as cohesive bodies of work.
The Marionette Theatre of Australia was founded in 1965 by Australia’s pioneering puppeteer Peter Scriven and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. Peter Scriven had previously opened his groundbreaking puppet musical The Tintookies in 1956. The Tintookies – who were ‘little people who come from the sandhills’ – did much to elevate puppetry in the public eye in Australia. It was the first large-scale puppet show in Australia, and with uniquely Australian themes.
For more than 20 years, the popular Marionette Theatre of Australia entertained Australian families, and toured Europe and Asia. By 1983, the company was located at its own newly renovated theatre in The Rocks, where they stayed until their closure in 1988.
Scope of the Collection
The S,B&W Foundation Marionette Theatre of Australia collection comprises puppets, books, photographs, posters, programs, audiovisual material, and administrative records. These materials document the artistic, technical, and administrative activities of the company and provide insight into the development, production, and presentation of marionette theatre in Australia.
Collection History
Following the closure of the Marionette Theatre of Australia in 1988, the puppets and books were custody of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust and were accommodated at the Independent Theatre, later acquired by the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation. In 1994, the Trust formally transferred custody of the puppets to the SB&W Foundation. The material was subsequently housed at the Stables Theatre in Kings Cross and with the Horizon Theatre Company in Croydon Park, before being transferred in 2006 to the custody of the SB&W Foundation Archives for permanent preservation. At this point, the collection was consolidated with other components of the Marionette Theatre of Australia archives. In 2016 the puppets were moved to their current home at the SB&W Archives in Neutral Bay.
MTA Puppet Collection
Deep in the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation archives collection, safe and sound in their custom-made ‘sleeping bags’, you will find the surviving puppets of the Marionette Theatre of Australia. The S,B&W Foundation archives hold over 150 of the Marionette Theatre of Australia’s marionette, rod and hand puppets.
Puppets in the collection range from productions from 1966 to 1988, and include puppets from The Explorers (1966), The Magic Pudding (1970, 1980 and 1988), The Water Babies (1972), Tales from Noonameena (1973), The Magical Tintookies Return (1975), The Mysterious Potamus (1979), and Sydney Coves (1988).
The Magic Pudding:
The Magic Pudding was first performed by the Marionette Theatre of Australia in 1960. While the original puppets were destroyed in the 1969 warehouse fire, the Foundation has puppets from the 1970, 1980 and 1988 productions. The Magic Pudding puppet show is based on the 1918 children’s book written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay, who also drew the characters for the puppet designs in 1959. The story follows the adventures of friends Bunyip Bluegum (a koala), Bill Barnacle (an ex-sailor), and Sam Sawnoff (a penguin) as they try to protect Albert the Magic Pudding from the clutches of ‘pudding thieves’ Patrick Possum and Watkin Wombat.
The Tintookies:
The Tintookies premiered in 1956. The Tintookies – who were ‘little people who come from the sandhills’ – did much to elevate puppetry in the public eye in Australia. It was the first large-scale puppet show in Australia, and with uniquely Australian themes. The Tintookies made a triumphant comeback in the 1975 revival The Magical Tintookies Return. The puppets of the 1975 production were are based on the original 1956 Tintookies designs, paying tribute to the puppets lost in the 1969 warehouse fire. The Tintookies puppets in our collection are from the 1975 revival.
The Mysterious Potamus:
The Mysterious Potamus (1979) was adapted from the Russian and directed by Richard Bradshaw, then the Director of the Marionette Theatre of Australia. The puppets were designed by Norman Hetherington who was creator of Australian puppet icon Mr Squiggle, and made by Ross Hill who went on to work as a designer and builder at the famed Jim Henson’s Creature Shop where he worked on the 1986 film Labyrinth.
National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards – 2025 Finalist
The S,B&W Foundation is honoured to be recognised as a 2025 National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards finalist. Our project, ‘Ongoing Conservation of the Marionette Theatre of Australia Puppets’, was selected as one of six finalists in the ‘Enduring’ category. This acknowledgement highlights the long-term significance of the Marionette Theatre of Australia Collection and the Foundation’s commitment to its continued preservation.
Access Conditions
Researchers, students, and practitioners are welcome to view the Marionette Theatre of Australia Collection on-site at the archives. Visits are by appointment, and we encourage you to contact us to arrange a suitable time.
Ehive example
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