James Dibble, 'the face and voice of the ABC', dies at 87

THE man who presented ABC TV's first news bulletin, James Dibble, has died from cancer. He was 87.
After that bulletin on November 5, 1956 - and the first words, ''Stand by for the opening night of the national television service'' - Dibble went on to read the news for 27 years.
''For many generations of Australians, James Dibble was the face and voice of the ABC,'' the organisation's managing director, Mark Scott, said last night. ''He was the figure of trust that we all turned to at 7 o'clock, bringing in the great events of the world and the great events of Australia.''
Dibble was famous for his refusal to use an autocue, glancing instead at a sheaf of notes in front of him. He has been praised for his crisp diction and rounded vowels - sounding both distinctly Australian and unpretentious.
Dibble lent his voice to everything from a surrealist radio play to a Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Authority documentary and a series of sex-education programs for Catholic schools.
In 1969, he was awarded an MBE for his services to media. In 1989, he became a member of the Order of Australia for services to media and the community.
After leaving the ABC, he remained an active believer in the organisation. In 1998, after the then ABC chairman, Donald McDonald, participated in a Liberal fund-raiser, he used the Herald's letters page to damn him. ''I can only put this dismaying error of judgment down to utter naivety on the part of this gentleman plus a complete lack of appreciation of the true responsibilities of his role.''
Dibble was a Newtown boy. The son of King Street bakers, he attended St Brigid's Primary School and De La Salle College, Marrickville.
He joined the air force at the beginning of World War II, working in the Pacific as a wireless telegraphist and then as a direction finder before joining ABC Radio in Canberra.
At his retirement in 1983, he described his career as: ''Just an ordinary bloke, doing his job, and doing it to the best of his ability.''
Dibble never married but was remembered by his grand niece, Gillian Rose, last night on the ABC as ''an amazing man''.

Actor Gus Mercurio dies aged 82

One of Australian television and film's great characters, Gus Mercurio, has died in a Melbourne hospital after complications during surgery.
He was 82.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mercurio was also a professional boxer and qualified referee, marine and chiropractor.
When he arrived in Australia, his raspy voice and natural acting talents brought him to the attention of Australian television studio networks.
Mercurio starred in several Australian TV series, including Cash and Company, Tandarra and the miniseries Power Without Glory.
He played guest roles in Australian TV police series, including Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police.
Film appearances include The Blue Lagoon, The Man from Snowy River, Turkey Shoot, Crocodile Dundee II, Return to the Blue Lagoon and Doing Time for Patsy Cline.
Mercurio was the father of dancer and actor Paul Mercurio, who starred in the hit 1992 film Strictly Ballroom.
Paul on Tuesday posted a message on his website before the "fairly major" operation that read.
It read: "My dad is at this very moment laying on a table in a hospital getting cut open to fix an aneurysm in his chest".
"Spare a thought for him if you can. He is a tough old bugger so he should be fine, however he is getting on - 82 and has become a little frailer over the last few years."
Mercurio was the president of the Australian Boxing Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his second wife Rita and six children.

Mr Squiggle's creator, Norman Hetherington, dies at 89

The man behind popular Australian children's television character Mr Squiggle has died aged 89.
Norman Frederick Hetherington died on Monday after a long illness.
Born on May 29, 1921, at Lilyfield in Sydney's inner-west, Hetherington first became interested in puppetry at age 14 when his father gave him a magazine with instructions for making a puppet out of used bicycle inner tubes.

But Hetherington first established himself professionally as a cartoonist.
The Bulletin published one of his cartoons in 1938, but when World War II broke out a year later Hetherington enlisted, becoming a soldier in the 1st Australian Army Entertainment Unit.
After the war, Hetherington became a successful freelance cartoonist in Sydney and in 1946 was given a job at The Bulletin.
But he continued his puppetry interest and, in 1956, his TV career began after completing training at the ABC.
He created several children's shows for TV before introducing Mr Squiggle, who first appeared as part of the Children's TV Club on the ABC in 1959.
His wife Margaret, whom he married in 1958, wrote all the scripts for the moon-dwelling marionette with a pencil for a nose while Hetherington, who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 1990, provided all the voices for the show's puppets.
Mr Squiggle soon turned into its own program.
Over its 40 years on TV, the show varied from five-minute spots to a one-and-a-half hour variety show featuring other performers.
But it retained its main feature: children writing in with their "squiggles" which Mr Squiggle turned into drawings by connecting lines with his pencil nose.
The character would say "upside down, upside down" and his assistant would turn the picture the right way up to reveal the drawing.
The last episode aired on July 9, 1999.
Hetherington is survived by Margaret, daughter Rebecca and son Stephen.