Keith Hetherington: Australian TV writer and novelist farewelled in Sunshine Coast ceremony

The brains behind some of Australian TV’s best loved shows has been farewelled in a moving service on the Sunshine Coast after losing his battle with dementia.

Renowned Australian writer Keith Hetherington has been farewelled in a moving service on the Sunshine Coast after passing away aged 91.

Mr Hetherington worked as a scriptwriter on Homicide, Matlock Police, Division 4, Solo One, The Box, The Spoiler and Chopper Squad.

He then went on to pen about 1000 novels, particularly westerns, under the names Kirk Hamilton and Brett Waring.

He also worked as a journalist for the Queensland Health Education Council, writing weekly articles for newspapers.

Australian writer Keith Hetherington has been farewelled in a moving service on the Sunshine Coast.

“I must have been mad, but can still remember belting out a series on Smoking and Lung Cancer with a packet of cigarettes beside my typewriter – and going through them mighty fast,” he once told Piccadilly Publishing.

The writer was a resident at Regis Aged Care in Maroochydore and had been ill for some time before he passed on June 30 at Nambour Hospital.

Mia Archer led Mr Hetherington’s service as family and friends gathered on Tuesday, July 13 for a final farewell.

His casket was adorned with brightly coloured flowers for a man who lived a bright and full life.

“He was a very kind and caring gentleman and his family were everything to him,” Ms Archer said.

“Keith enjoyed archery and shooting and absolutely loved the beach and a bit of a fascination for sharks and learning all he could about them.”

Keith Hetherington was a well-known television writer with more than a thousand books published in his lifetime.

Mr Hetherington was born in 1929 and grew up in Ashgrove, Brisbane.

He studied to be an industrial chemist but writing was undoubtedly his forte. 

His son Geoff Hetherington, although unable to attend the service due to the Covid lockdown in New South Wales, wrote a moving eulogy.

“He holds the record as the world’s most prolific author of western fiction with over 1000 titles published in his lifetime,” he wrote.

“He truly loved what he did and was lucky enough to do it for the majority of his life.

“The illusive breakthrough into wider recognition never happened and the financial rewards never matched his talent or output.

“But his writing provided his family with a comfortable life, we never wanted for anything.”

Australian writer Keith Hetherington and his family.

Mr Hetherington said his father was “truly a loving dad who raised a strong family”.

“His passing was not unexpected but sudden … I was unable to be there in Nambour to say a final farewell,” he wrote.

“As always, so much unsaid and left to say that will only echo through my head.”

Renowned Australian writer Keith Hetherington penned more than 1000 novels.

Fellow writer and friend Ben Bridges had always been a big fan of Mr Hetherington’s work, first contacting him three decades ago.

“They say you should never meet your idols, (but) he turned out to be every bit as nice, approachable, friendly and helpful as I hoped he would be,” he said.

“We quickly developed a wonderful postal friendship – he learned all about my family and I about his.

“We must have discussed all kinds of topics over the years and his letters were always a pure joy to receive.”

Mr Bridges said it was fortunate Mr Hetherington was such a prolific writer.

“I doubt I will ever be able to say that I’ve read everything he wrote,” he said.

“But I can truthfully say that I never read a bad Keith Hetherington book, no matter the genre.

“Keith was a warm, compassionate, generous, funny and gifted man and I will miss him.”

He is survived by his wife Rita, children Christine, Richard and Geoff as well as three grandchildren and four great grandchildren.