Episode 039 – The Marree Man: Australia's Giant Outback Mystery (1998)

In the remote South Australian outback, an enormous figure etched into the earth captured the world's attention. Known as the Marree Man, the geoglyph depicts a stylised Indigenous man holding a throwing stick and stretches approximately 4.2 kilometres (2.6 miles) in length. The giant figure appeared near the town of Marree, but its creator has never been conclusively identified. Theories about who made it, how they created it, and why it was placed in such a remote location have fuelled speculation for decades. Despite investigations, competing claims and attempts to uncover its origins, the Marree Man remains one of Australia's most intriguing modern mysteries. Join Holly and Matthew as they investigate the giant outback geoglyph, explore the theories surrounding its creation, and examine how the mystery has affected the local community and tourism. *** 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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/weird-crap-in-australia--2968350/support.