Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, Jun 1997

[StarrChance]

Wonderful podcast,very informative, looking forward to next episode!

 

[Itsapuzzle]

But wait, there's more ... so does anyone know where we can read Qld newspapers online for 1998/1999? I wouldn't mind having a look to see if there are any disposal notice orders in the classifieds there, in my spare time .... and if there are none to be found for Marion/Florabella, well, then that could mean that the crate and its items were collected and removed by Marion/Florabella. Can only find old newspapers at this point, much appreciated if anyone knows. Apparently it's law, was law at the time to announce in paper of disposal. Cheers

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Just one more thing, other than the other just one more thing previously mentioned ... we need to find this Norman Lindsay print that Marion had in the crate .... we have a lady sitting on a rock, with children around her .... maybe someone has seen it hanging in someone's home, or for sale, or in catalogue. Cheers

 

[Me123]

I wonder if the old newspapers have been uploaded anywhere and there is a search function? I’ve only ever seen on tv them being looked through haha but it must be a thing?
I also had a thought, what about messaging the lady vanishes podcast Facebook and asking if they’ve reached out to Instagram accounts with large followings who are in the area in question and asking them To have a listen and then mention it if they enjoy the podcast. The more people that this could trigger a memory in the better! I’m not sure how advertised it is as I’m not from Australia I only stumbled over this podcast by chance online

 

[Pi Thoughts]

Marion’s listing on the Australian missing persons register. This looks like a privately run register.
I have a query. Marion was born in Australia and even though she changed her name why would she need a 3 day visa to come back into Australia? Doesn’t make sense or am I missing something

Marion BARTER

 

[Me123]

Marion’s listing on the Australian missing persons register. This looks like a privately run register.
I have a query. Marion was born in Australia and even though she changed her name why would she need a 3 day visa to come back into Australia? Doesn’t make sense or am I missing something

Marion BARTER

I believe Sally asked the same question in one of the episodes. Along with when she gave in the name to the bank before she knew of a name change the bank assistant told her the info about the money being taken out. So the account was still under MB not Florabella..

Who thinks there will be answers for Sally with the podcast and exposure?

I believe the power of social media to be extremely powerful and if she was alive and allowed to live freely somebody surely must recognise her, a neighbour, a new friend ect. Especially if she went be the name Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel!

 

[Itsapuzzle]

I've been delving around in Trove.nla.gov.au looking at some old newspapers. Found something that could be of interest. This advertisement appeared in the Le Courrier Australien (Sydney, NSW : 1892 - 2011) Saturday 10 December 1994 p 27 Advertising. Aged 47, (named as M.F. Remakel) in 1994 would make him around the same age as Marion. Interestingly he lists his PO Box as being in Lennox Head, a very short distance from Byron Bay. Could Marion have met him? Not necessarily through the ad, but around the place? Could he be the mystery man? Did Marion speak French? It was pretty common in schools back then I think. Maybe she changed her name for him, not sure why, but just some ideas. Remakel is a very rare name in Australia, I can't find any at this point ... it is interesting though .... or have I finally lost it? Not sure. Anyway, just putting it out there.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

I wonder if the old newspapers have been uploaded anywhere and there is a search function? I’ve only ever seen on tv them being looked through haha but it must be a thing?
I also had a thought, what about messaging the lady vanishes podcast Facebook and asking if they’ve reached out to Instagram accounts with large followings who are in the area in question and asking them To have a listen and then mention it if they enjoy the podcast. The more people that this could trigger a memory in the better! I’m not sure how advertised it is as I’m not from Australia I only stumbled over this podcast by chance online

Good idea, Me123, instagram has huge following ... err, I've already had a question answered in the Bonus Conversations so I won't annoy them again, hee .... but the email is theladyvanishes@Seven.com.au
Yes, the Qld papers from the 98/99 era must be somewhere searchable online, still looking. Cheers

 

[Pi Thoughts]

I've been delving around in Trove.nla.gov.au looking at some old newspapers. Found something that could be of interest. This advertisement appeared in the Le Courrier Australien (Sydney, NSW : 1892 - 2011) Saturday 10 December 1994 p 27 Advertising. Aged 47, (named as M.F. Remakel) in 1994 would make him around the same age as Marion. Interestingly he lists his PO Box as being in Lennox Head, a very short distance from Byron Bay. Could Marion have met him? Not necessarily through the ad, but around the place? Could he be the mystery man? Did Marion speak French? It was pretty common in schools back then I think. Maybe she changed her name for him, not sure why, but just some ideas. Remakel is a very rare name in Australia, I can't find any at this point ... it is interesting though .... or have I finally lost it? Not sure. Anyway, just putting it out there.View attachment 183812

Great sleuthing, I think you may have a possibility.
Conjecture here....What if she did meet this man and he offers her a wonderful life in Luxembourg after a trip on the Orient Express. Maybe he is the one with the visa, comes back to Australia with Marion/Florabella and starts draining the money from her account. Either getting Marion to take the money out or if he’s done something to her after they land in Australia use a female accomplice. We need that list of who was on the plane or who entered through customs. Is it too late for that? All MOO.
Marion went to Teachers College in Armidale NSW. I would not be surprised is she knew French.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Great sleuthing, I think you may have a possibility.
Conjecture here....What if she did meet this man and he offers her a wonderful life in Luxembourg after a trip on the Orient Express. Maybe he is the one with the visa, comes back to Australia with Marion/Florabella and starts draining the money from her account. Either getting Marion to take the money out or if he’s done something to her after they land in Australia use a female accomplice. We need that list of who was on the plane or who entered through customs. Is it too late for that? All MOO.
Marion went to Teachers College in Armidale NSW. I would not be surprised is she knew French.

Most excellent theory, Pi Thoughts, I like it very much. Maybe they were corresponding via letters for a while too ... completely interesting the idea about the 3 day visa, oh boy! Yes, we need that passenger list.

 

[Me123]

Most excellent theory, Pi Thoughts, I like it very much. Maybe they were corresponding via letters for a while too ... completely interesting the idea about the 3 day visa, oh boy! Yes, we need that passenger list.

Oh my god amazing find! You have got to show this to somebody over On the podcast!!! I got shivers. This surely has to be a link? Yes she did known some French! I’ve read about her usuing French words in her class room rather than English to acquaint the children with some phrases.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Oh my god amazing find! You have got to show this to somebody over On the podcast!!! I got shivers. This surely has to be a link? Yes she did known some French! I’ve read about her usuing French words in her class room rather than English to acquaint the children with some phrases.

Thanks Me123, it is pretty interesting ... feel free to pass it on, not sure if they know about the websleuths page, maybe they don't. Wow, thanks for the info about the French, oh my .....

 

[Pi Thoughts]

Thanks Me123, it is pretty interesting ... feel free to pass it on, not sure if they know about the websleuths page, maybe they don't. Wow, thanks for the info about the French, oh my .....

I’m on the podcast page and made them aware of Websleuths about 4 weeks ago. I know Sally has seen my posts there.

 

[Me123]

Thanks Me123, it is pretty interesting ... feel free to pass it on, not sure if they know about the websleuths page, maybe they don't. Wow, thanks for the info about the French, oh my .....

OK so ive just screen shot the zoomed in ad and sent it to the lady vanishes podcast Facebook page that says Sally manages it. I said it was from somebody on Websleuths. I think this is the first I’ve seen to a link of that surname to close to where Marion was from? Can anybody translate what it says? I can tell whatbsome words say but I may pop it in to google translate, but difficult going from page to Page in my iPhone though. I feel so excited I am thoroughly invested in Sally getting answers. Well done again, it’s a puzzle!

Ps what’s strange is I LITERALLY seconds before I checked here read about her using French phrases in the classroom over on a discussion about the podcast (not a msm article so don’t think I can share where?)

 

[Me123]

Deleted

 

[Me123]

Ok it roughly says
Single, Brown, great, Sober, non smoking, Multi owner, nerd (or intelligent?) warm, motivated and to the endian with moral qualities important seeks lady of free heart. permenant relationship view and or marraige

A couple of world wouldn’t translate, like polyglote?

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Ok it roughly says
Single, Brown, great, Sober, non smoking, Multi owner, nerd (or intelligent?) warm, motivated and to the endian with moral qualities important seeks lady of free heart. permenant relationship view and or marraige

A couple of world wouldn’t translate, like polyglote?

Good on ya Me123 - I was trying to look up the words one at a time - discovered the BCBG means "good style good class" - just looked up polyglot and it means knowing or using several languages .... interesting.

 

[Me123]

Good on ya Me123 - I was trying to look up the words one at a time - discovered the BCBG means "good style good class" - just looked up polyglot and it means knowing or using several languages .... interesting.

Oh yes BCBG I forgot to do that one! Interesting about the languages!
So if this MF Remakel lived by Marion somebody must have known him? Or maybe he lived elsewhere and randomly posted this ad. I wonder if he posted in other papers. Or if he posted more times that just the one you found but stopped presumably because he met somebody. So many questions!

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Oh yes BCBG I forgot to do that one! Interesting about the languages!
So if this MF Remakel lived by Marion somebody must have known him? Or maybe he lived elsewhere and randomly posted this ad. I wonder if he posted in other papers. Or if he posted more times that just the one you found but stopped presumably because he met somebody. So many questions!

I like your enthusiasm Me123 Yes indeed, this advertisement may have been posted in other papers at other times, definitely. Why put the ad in French, maybe to hide? Says he speaks other languages, maybe there is an English ad somewhere? I just googled the name Remakel and it says there are only 103 people in the world with this surname .... don't know how many there were in 1994/95, but the fact that one had a PO Box in Lennox Head, near where the money was taken out in Byron Bay certainly warrants attention. Wondering what the "F" in the name stands for?

 

[Pi Thoughts]

Ok, I've done some looking on 2 facebook groups associated with finding Marion. She left Australia through Brisbane with a stopover in Tokyo then onto London. She travelled alone and when she arrived headed to Tunbridge Wells on the Sussex Coast.

We can forget the visa on return, it was actually an incoming customs declaration that stated Florabella was married, living in Luxembourg and that she would be in Australia for 3 days.

My thoughts: I believe that she did leave Australia but now having some doubts it was Florabella/Marion who returned...why only 3 days? Or if she did return why not leave after the 3 days specified? Did she meet with foul play at this end before the money was taken from the bank? Her passport has not left the country and it has since expired. I think that she may have met or heard of the Lennox Head Remakel and that is where her idea for name change came from. Her superannuation has not been touched and also $20,000 in a UK account not touched.

Her anticipated year long trip was in fact only a bit over 1 month.

I started a timeline for Marion, feel free to add:

October 3rd 1945 date of birth

May 15th 1997 changed name by deed poll to Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel

June 26th 1997 left Brisbane International for a year long trip to UK

July 15th 1997 date supposed to travel on Orient Express but decided not to

August 1st 1997 phone call to Sally - last time Sally spoke with her

August 2nd 1997 returned to Australia

October 18th 1997 Son Owen’s birthday but no call was made to him which alerted Sally