The re-emergence of South Australia’s mysterious Marree Man has been hailed as a tourism boost for the state’s far north.
The 4km-long outline, the origins of which remain a mystery, had all but faded from view after its discovery south-east of Lake Eyre in 1998.
But a determined group of mates has used imaging data and a grader to bring him back.
“We could see it was fading rapidly and, from a tourism perspective, to lose such an extraordinary myth and mystery would be a tragedy,” the Marree Hotel co-owner Phil Turner said on Saturday.
The group collaborated with the Arabana Aboriginal Corporation, and compiled imaging data to ensure they were retracing the original.
“Then it came to, ‘What do we use as a paintbrush to restore this work of art’? And we came to a grader,” Turner said.
“It will be there forever not because of the work we’ve done but because we’ve created wind grooves.
“The graded wind rows trap water ... so over time Marree Man is going to turn green.”
Sometimes referred to as Stuart’s Giant, the Marree Man is a modern geoglyph discovered by air on 26 June 1998. It appears to depict an Indigenous Australian man hunting with a boomerang or stick.
It lies on a plateau at Finnis Springs, 60 km west of the township of Marree in central South Australia
Although it is the second largest geoglyph in the world, little is known about its origin. The name “Stuart’s Giant” was given to it in a fax sent to the media anonymously by those believed to have created the figure, after John McDouall Stuart, a Scottish explorer and one of the most accomplished of all Australia’s inland explorers.
Turner said the re-emergence of the Marree Man would be a significant boost for year-round tourism in a region largely reliant on seasonal attractions such as Lake Eyre when it fills.
He expected a 10 per cent increase in overnight stays to inject millions into the far north.
–Australian Associated Press contributed to this story
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