Death Of Suspect Behind Australia's Marree Man Mystery
[Original headline: Marree man still a mystery]
A Territory artist may have taken one of Australia's greatest secrets to his grave, it was learned yesterday.
Bardius Goldberg, who died last month at the age of 61, is suspected of having been responsible for the Marree Man, a giant Earth sculpture that can be seen from outer space.
Close friend Reg Harris said the eccentric, who lived at Alice Springs for 30 years, created the 4km-long sculpture in far north South Australia.
"Bardius had a good understanding of global satellite technology, he had access to earthmoving equipment and there were suspicions he was involved from the start but no one could prove anything," Mr Harris said.
The drawing of an Aboriginal man, which had been ploughed into a plateau just outside the 200,000sq km Woomera Prohibited Area near Lake Eyre and the town of Marree, was discovered in early July 1998.
An anonymous facsimile was sent to the local police station announcing the giant's existence.
And when townsfolk went to investigate they found a satellite picture of the sculpture, a US flag and a note mentioning the Branch Davidian cult.
From the air, the giant Aboriginal hunter, which is 28km in circumference, can be seen wielding a throwing stick and boasting a 7m erect penis.
Experts who surveyed the earth sculpture concluded the mysterious drawing was forged with an earthmoving machine and that the person responsible must have had extensive knowledge of satellite-linked global positioning systems.
Mr Harris said he had plenty to support his theory that Goldberg was the man behind the mystery.
"A bloke gave Bardius $10,000 around the time the Marree Man was discovered," he said.
"Bardius said he was under instructions not to discuss why he was paid."
At the time, theories abounded that American personnel from Woomera created the figure.
And while it appears the secrets of the Marree Man will remain just that, Mr Harris said: "If anyone was mad enough, talented enough and cheeky enough to do it, it was Bardius."
• Story originally published by:
Northern Territory News via News.com.au / Australia | Dee Corcoran - Aug 23.02
All Copyrights© are acknowledged.
Material reproduced here is for
educational and research purposes only.
