New Zealand–Australian comedian, writer, and satirist John Clarke has died, aged 68.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, for whom John worked, has confirmed he died on Sunday of natural causes, while hiking in the Grampians National Park in Victoria.

John first became known during the mid to late 1970s for portraying a laconic farmer called Fred Dagg on stage, film and television. Gumboot and singlet-clad, Dagg had seven sons all named Trev.

John also recorded a series of records and cassettes and published several books as Dagg. Thirty years after its release, the first Fred Dagg album, Fred Dagg's Greatest Hits (1976), remains one of New Zealand's biggest selling records.

John was the voice of Wal Footrot in the feature-length animated film, Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale (1986), based on the comic strips by Murray Ball, who also passed away last month.

John was born in Palmerston North and has lived in Australia since the late 1970s. He was a regular actor and writer on Australian television.