Barry Humphries, the Australian entertainer famed for his comedic character Dame Edna Everage, has died aged 89.

Humphries died at a Sydney hospital, where he was receiving treatment for complications following hip surgery in March. 

Among those to pay tribute to him following his death was Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.

"A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift." Albanese said.

Humphries’ family said he was "completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit".

His characters “will live on”,  they added. 

Barry Humphries. Photo: AFP

Humphries' most famous character, Dame Edna, first appeared on Australian TV in the 1950s and would go on to become a hit in the UK in the 1970s. By the 1980s, the character had her own TV show, the Dame Edna Everage Experience.

Edna was conceived as a parody of suburban housewives, modelled on Humphries’ own mother. Over time, the character became more outrageous.

Humphries became so invested in the character that he wrote an autobiography, My Gorgeous Life, as Dame Edna. 

The comedian’s other major characters included a drunken letch name Sir Les Patterson and the grandfatherly Sandy Stone. 

Humphries, who was married four times, is survived by his wife and four children.