Marree Man

The Marree Man is a massive geoglyph located in the arid outback of South Australia. Etched into a plateau near Finniss Springs, approximately 60 kilometres west of the small town of Marree, it depicts an Aboriginal-style hunter holding either a boomerang or a woomera (throwing stick). It is one of the largest figures ever created on Earth, visible from aircraft and satellite imagery.

Location and Description

The Marree Man lies within a remote desert area on the edge of the Woomera Prohibited Area, a restricted military testing zone in northern South Australia. The landscape consists of red sand and sparse vegetation, making the contrast of the geoglyph clearly visible from above.
The figure stands approximately 2.7 kilometres tall and covers a perimeter of about 28 kilometres. Its outline was carved into the ground by removing the reddish topsoil, exposing the lighter-coloured subsoil beneath. The precision and symmetry of the design suggest the use of modern surveying tools and possibly global positioning technology.

Discovery

The Marree Man was discovered on 26 June 1998 by a charter pilot flying over the region. It was not present on satellite images taken earlier that year, indicating that it had been created only weeks before its discovery. The sheer size and accuracy of the figure astonished both locals and experts, who were left questioning how such a large-scale design could have been created without attracting attention.

Mystery of Its Origin

The creator of the Marree Man remains unknown. No individual or organisation has ever claimed responsibility, and investigations by authorities have not identified the artists behind it. Several theories have been proposed to explain its creation:

• Artistic Project: Some believe it was created by an artist or collective familiar with large-scale land art, possibly inspired by the Nazca Lines of Peru.
• Military Involvement: Given the site’s proximity to a military testing zone, others suspect the involvement of personnel with access to aerial mapping and heavy machinery.
• Publicity Stunt: Another theory suggests it was made as a tourism or media publicity project to draw attention to the remote region.

Shortly after the figure was found, anonymous faxes were sent to local businesses and media outlets describing the geoglyph and calling it “Stuart’s Giant,” in honour of the explorer John McDouall Stuart. The letters used American spelling and terminology, leading some to believe that the artist might have been from the United States.

Cultural and Environmental Impact

The Marree Man was created without consultation with local Aboriginal communities. As a result, it generated controversy, as the site is close to land that holds cultural significance to Indigenous groups. Some considered the geoglyph a violation of sacred land, while others viewed it as an artistic curiosity.
From an environmental perspective, the construction disturbed native vegetation and fragile desert soil. However, it has since become a tourist attraction, boosting local interest in aerial tours and desert travel.

Preservation and Erosion

Over the years, the lines of the Marree Man began to fade due to wind erosion and natural weathering. In 2016, local enthusiasts and tourism groups, with approval from the land’s traditional owners, re-marked the outline using GPS-guided tools to restore visibility for aircraft and satellite observation.
Efforts to maintain the Marree Man have sparked debate about whether it should be preserved as a piece of modern art or allowed to disappear naturally as part of the desert’s evolution.

Significance and Interpretation

The Marree Man is one of the most remarkable examples of modern geoglyphs — enormous designs carved into the Earth’s surface. It reflects both the technological capacity of the late 20th century and the enduring human fascination with large-scale expressions in natural landscapes.
The site also raises questions about artistic intention, environmental ethics, and cultural sensitivity. It has been compared with ancient creations like the Nazca Lines of Peru, though its contemporary origin sets it apart as a mystery of modern land art.