Description

A massive, mysterious geoglyph appeared in the South Australian outback near the town of Marree, capturing worldwide attention. Dubbed the "Marree Man," this massive figure was a stylised outline of an Indigenous man holding a throwing stick, measuring around 4.2 kilometres (2.6 miles) in length. Its creation has never been officially claimed, and the artist(s) remain unknown to this day, sparking intense curiosity and conspiracy theories. The Marree Man’s size made it visible from space, but it lay undiscovered for days in the remote desert before being spotted from a plane.

Join Holly & Matthew as they uncover the strange case of the Marree Man, exploring the theories surrounding its origin, the mystery of its creators, and its impact on local culture and tourism.

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Sources cited:

• Debelle, Penelope. 2006. "Evidence suggests Marree Man was created by people with expert knowledge of aborigines." The Age. Accessed August 24, 2021. http://www.geocities.ws/curiosities3/evidence.htm.
• Deseret News. 1999. "England could hold answer to giant 'whodunnit'." January 19. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://www.deseret.com/1999/1/19/19423926/england-could-hold-answer-to-giant-australian-whodunnit-br-large-image-of-aboriginal-man-carved-in-o.
• Powell, Sian. 2018. "Who drew Marree Man?" The Australian, June 25. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/inquirer/the-marree-man-remains-as-much-of-a-mystery-after-20-years/news-story/9644b21addf4541a29479e9fcc3acec6.
• Morgan, Huw, and Bronwyn Hurrell. 1998. "Leave our land alone." The Advertiser, July 17: 7. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=740&mode=singleImage.
• Jones, Erin. 2018. "Alice Springs artist Bardius Goldberg created the Marree Man, another friend says." The Advertiser, October 21. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/alice-springs-artist-bardius-goldberg-created-the-marree-man-another-friend-says/news-story/a5a34ee11a7cc16853eca1c4d639b301.
• Zinn, Christopher. 1998. "Giant carving huge mystery in Australian outback." South Coast Today, July 16. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/19980716/News/307169956.
• ABC Radio Adelaide. 2016. "Marree Man restored as outback tourist attraction in far north SA." August 20. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-20/marree-man-restored-as-outback-tourist-attraction/7769006.
• Vyver, James. 2019. "Marree Man: An outback enigma." ABC Radio National, August 24. Accessed AUgust 24, 2021. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-24/mystery-of-the-marree-man-in-australian-outback/11310330.