Paul Keating puppet from Rubbery Figures

This original prop from political satire Rubbery Figures (1984–1990) is a caricatured, puppet version of Paul Keating with a bow tie. He was portrayed in the series as prime minister Bob Hawke's down-to-earth crony but Keating's puppet also made an appearance on sketch series Fast Forward as the pointy-eared Mr Spock in a Star Trek spoof (Hawke was Captain Kirk).

Rubbery Figures was a popular ABC series in the late '80s that operated on a miniscule budget. The series gave viewers an insight into the political figures and news of the day, although seen through a satirical lens. Its stars – the politician puppets – were originally made out of caricature artist Peter Nicholson’s makeshift film studio in North Melbourne until the concept was revived as a popular segment on Steve Vizard’s Fast Forward.