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

[SheMantis]

How interesting! Does the woman wear old fashioned clothes/ ‘little house on the prairie’ style? Ofcourse this happens when Sally is in the uk! What are the chances haha! Keep us posted and thanks for posting!

Wow, does anyone know if this was ever followed up?!

 

[SheMantis]

Hi everyone, i'm new to this thread but not new to this case. I have been following the podcast etc avidly. I have had quite a bit of time on my hands lately at work and decided to help the team (as I knew they were in Europe) by tracking down a woman on facebook who had posted about a possible sighting in Byron Bay after seeing the Women's Weekly Aus article. With some luck, it didn't take me long and she phoned me yesterday. I planned to just pass her details onto Sally but this woman was very chatty and wanted to tell me everything. It sounds like a genuine lead which is very exciting but at the same time she doesn't want to get anyone's hopes up. For the past 15 or so years she has owned a business in Byron Bay (opposite the comm bank believe it or not) and see's this lady almost weekly. She fits Marion's description and is very reclusive. She is often seen having coffee by herself next door and appears quite mentally and physically unwell. She shies away from anyone asking personal questions. The business owner has never found out this lady's name but even her husband agreed it could be Marion before they made contact. This lady has stood out to them as she has never once bought anything in their shop but always asks odd things like "can you measure this item for me"? etc. She said to me, it stuck out to her in the article as she would definitely describe her as eccentric! It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps mental illness is playing a huge role in this mystery. I don't want to speculate but even the women's weekly article mentioned in the time before she disappeared Maron was "acting like she had a nervous breakdown." Even though she sounded fine on the phone to Sally etc, perhaps that wasn't really the case, people can cover things well. Just something I have been thinking about anyway. I have passed all the details on obviously, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. No CCTV in the business but it sounds like she is seen around town fairly regularly.

Was this followed up? I don't remember hearing about it on the podcast..

 

[Mel 1303]

Was this followed up? I don't remember hearing about it on the podcast..

Not that I have heard or seen anywhere. I'm trying to find the post on facebook, to see what comments were made.

 

[Mel 1303]

I have been going through the grad records from Wagga Wagga teachers college, from the late 50's through the 60's, and I cant find Marion. I will check again later, in case I missed something.

Search (107 total) · Charles Sturt University Regional Archives Digital Gallery

There is something about the discrepancy around where Marion studied that I cant let go of. Don't know why it is bugging me so much!

 

[SheMantis]

I have been going through the grad records from Wagga Wagga teachers college, from the late 50's through the 60's, and I cant find Marion. I will check again later, in case I missed something.

Search (107 total) · Charles Sturt University Regional Archives Digital Gallery

There is something about the discrepancy around where Marion studied that I cant let go of. Don't know why it is bugging me so much!

Interesting! So you think it could go back that far? I've been thinking, in most recent photos, she's wearing the same necklace which looks quite unique. I've just posted on the fb asking if Sally has a clearer photo of it.

 

[Mel 1303]

Interesting! So you think it could go back that far? I've been thinking, in most recent photos, she's wearing the same necklace which looks quite unique. I've just posted on the fb asking if Sally has a clearer photo of it.

No, I doubt there is anything going that far back. When the podcast first started, it said that Marion went to college in Wagga Wagga, which surprised me, as I remembered the article from more than five years ago saying that she went to Armidale teachers college. Armidale is relatively local to me, and I am a teacher- I remember discussion with colleagues around it at the time- although no one I knew thought they had gone to college with her. I assumed maybe she had done some training at each place, maybe transferring from one to another, but when I asked in the facebook group my comment was deleted. Maybe it had been answered before, and they were cleaning up repetitious comments, but it just created a little spark in me I cant shake.

 

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

No, I doubt there is anything going that far back. When the podcast first started, it said that Marion went to college in Wagga Wagga, which surprised me, as I remembered the article from more than five years ago saying that she went to Armidale teachers college. Armidale is relatively local to me, and I am a teacher- I remember discussion with colleagues around it at the time- although no one I knew thought they had gone to college with her. I assumed maybe she had done some training at each place, maybe transferring from one to another, but when I asked in the facebook group my comment was deleted. Maybe it had been answered before, and they were cleaning up repetitious comments, but it just created a little spark in me I cant shake.

Thats interesting Mel1303. Could she have graduated in her maiden name?

I had a comment deleted from the Facebook page too. Wayback when the bank withdrawals were first discussed i posted a comment saying that I had been a teller at a regional branch at the time Marion disappeared and that a $5k cash withdrawal wasnt uncommon or memorable and suggested FTRA as the possible reason for the withdrawals. There were lots of people posting the opposite of what I said so I assume my comment was deleted to avoid disagreements on the page.

 

[SheMantis]

Ve

No, I doubt there is anything going that far back. When the podcast first started, it said that Marion went to college in Wagga Wagga, which surprised me, as I remembered the article from more than five years ago saying that she went to Armidale teachers college. Armidale is relatively local to me, and I am a teacher- I remember discussion with colleagues around it at the time- although no one I knew thought they had gone to college with her. I assumed maybe she had done some training at each place, maybe transferring from one to another, but when I asked in the facebook group my comment was deleted. Maybe it had been answered before, and they were cleaning up repetitious comments, but it just created a little spark in me I cant shake.

Very interesting. I'd like to hear about how she first got into teaching. I'm presuming registration was needed back then. Perhaps she was never registered, threatened to speak up about the abuse at TSS, and in retaliation they dug up her history and realised she was never registered, and therefore working 'illegally' as a teacher. Perhaps the holiday was to process everything and make some decisions going forward, and she thought she's better change her name just in case (as she could still use Marion if she decided to return). I've always thought 'foul play' but on the off chance this was the case, I can actually understand wanting to change your identity. Perhaps she feared serious legal consequences.

 

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

Was this followed up? I don't remember hearing about it on the podcast..

In one of the podcast episodes (or it could have been one of the conversation episodes) they mention Sally being sent a photo of a woman someone sent in of a woman (described like this lady) and they didnt look into it further because Sally knew it wasnt her Mum from the photo.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

I have been going through the grad records from Wagga Wagga teachers college, from the late 50's through the 60's, and I cant find Marion. I will check again later, in case I missed something.

Search (107 total) · Charles Sturt University Regional Archives Digital Gallery

There is something about the discrepancy around where Marion studied that I cant let go of. Don't know why it is bugging me so much!

Thanks for putting that link up Mel, it's so interesting, never seen documents like that before. Having a look now .... hey, might look for the name Remakel while I'm poking around

 

[Mel 1303]

Thats interesting Mel1303. Could she have graduated in her maiden name?

I had a comment deleted from the Facebook page too. Wayback when the bank withdrawals were first discussed i posted a comment saying that I had been a teller at a regional branch at the time Marion disappeared and that a $5k cash withdrawal wasnt uncommon or memorable and suggested FTRA as the possible reason for the withdrawals. There were lots of people posting the opposite of what I said so I assume my comment was deleted to avoid disagreements on the page.

Ive looked for her maiden name and three married names.

 

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

Ive looked for her maiden name and three married names.

Wow! That's really interesting.

Do you think it is possible Mel 1303 that back in 60/70's that someone could get a teaching job unregistered?

 

[Mel 1303]

Wow! That's really interesting.

Do you think it is possible Mel 1303 that back in 60/70's that someone could get a teaching job unregistered?

I wouldnt think so- nothing is impossible, but I doubt it. I just feel that there is something off here and I cant put my finger on what it is.

 

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

Ve
Perhaps she was never registered, threatened to speak up about the abuse at TSS, and in retaliation they dug up her history and realised she was never registered, and therefore working 'illegally' as a teacher.

Yes. Or perhaps the unregistered status could have been identified through the teaching excellence award process??

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Missing Marion: latest updates - Rye News

It’s not every day you see a poster in a shop window on Rye High Street referring to a missing person, who put it there and why? What connection does Rye have to a missing person from Australia?
When the Missing Person article was published in Rye News it found its way onto social media sites and became well read and shared. Rye News was contacted by Lisa Vermaak who has answered some of the questions for us.
I spoke to Lisa who has just moved back to the UK from Australia. She is actively involved in following up leads on this story on a voluntary basis including those from Brian Seymour, the news reporter at Australia’s Channel 7 Television Network covering the story and Alison Sandy, the Executive Producer of the podcast about this intriguing story, The Lady Vanishes.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

These deed poll name change documents that can’t be accessed for 100 years or whatever it was, can’t be viewed by the public ..... can the police gain access to them? The reason for name change and the name of the witness will be there, and that witness would be able to explain a lot, one would think. Just curious.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

I have been going through the grad records from Wagga Wagga teachers college, from the late 50's through the 60's, and I cant find Marion. I will check again later, in case I missed something.

Search (107 total) · Charles Sturt University Regional Archives Digital Gallery

There is something about the discrepancy around where Marion studied that I cant let go of. Don't know why it is bugging me so much!

Hey Mel, can you remember where Wagga Wagga was mentioned? I can't find a reference to it, but I do like to solve puzzles, would like to help figure it out. Also have you checked the Armidale College Graduation Ceremony programs, if there's a site for them? You would have to know the year Marion graduated wouldn't you, I don't know when it was. Are you thinking there's a link between Marion going to the now defunct Armidale College and the Crimestoppers call about a body buried next to the university?

 

[Mel 1303]

Hey Mel, can you remember where Wagga Wagga was mentioned? I can't find a reference to it, but I do like to solve puzzles, would like to help figure it out. Also have you checked the Armidale College Graduation Ceremony programs, if there's a site for them? You would have to know the year Marion graduated wouldn't you, I don't know when it was. Are you thinking there's a link between Marion going to the now defunct Armidale College and the Crimestoppers call about a body buried next to the university?

Hi! Wagga Wagga was mentioned in episode one, about 8 mins in. Says that she studies at the now defunct Wagga Wagga college.

In 2013, an article ran where it stated that she studied in Armidale: Searching for clues to find missing mum

She may well have studied at both- but my question was deleted so I don't know. If she did study in Armidale, then that may point to a reason why she may have ended up back in the town, potentially meeting with foul play. The most that I can find about the search following the crimestoppers tip is that it was near une- which is not where the teachers college was- it was in town, with the university on the outskirts. A lot of training teachers lived in une accommodation at Smith House, but not all- some ended up boarding privately, or renting their own accommodation. Many had part time jobs- if we knew where she studied, it might be another area to sleuth.

I cant find a site for the Armidale grad ceremony programmes, but I have sent an email to the archivist to find out where they are- possibly in the archives at the une library, in which case I will have a look and take pics to share. I don't know when she graduated- on the Wagga site I looked at 15 years of programmes, to try and cover the times.

 

[Mel 1303]

These deed poll name change documents that can’t be accessed for 100 years or whatever it was, can’t be viewed by the public ..... can the police gain access to them? The reason for name change and the name of the witness will be there, and that witness would be able to explain a lot, one would think. Just curious.

Yes, the police can and have accessed them. In one of the episodes Garry Sheehan confirmed that he had the records and that the name had not been changed legally again. He would have access to marriage records as well, should she have remarried in Australia. It would be very interesting to know who the witness was. Garry Sheehan would have that info, and it will be available to the coroner in determining if an inquest should be held.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Hi! Wagga Wagga was mentioned in episode one, about 8 mins in. Says that she studies at the now defunct Wagga Wagga college.

In 2013, an article ran where it stated that she studied in Armidale: Searching for clues to find missing mum

She may well have studied at both- but my question was deleted so I don't know. If she did study in Armidale, then that may point to a reason why she may have ended up back in the town, potentially meeting with foul play. The most that I can find about the search following the crimestoppers tip is that it was near une- which is not where the teachers college was- it was in town, with the university on the outskirts. A lot of training teachers lived in une accommodation at Smith House, but not all- some ended up boarding privately, or renting their own accommodation. Many had part time jobs- if we knew where she studied, it might be another area to sleuth.

I cant find a site for the Armidale grad ceremony programmes, but I have sent an email to the archivist to find out where they are- possibly in the archives at the une library, in which case I will have a look and take pics to share. I don't know when she graduated- on the Wagga site I looked at 15 years of programmes, to try and cover the times.

Ah ha! Completely brilliant Mel1303. Well spotted, hey, I'd never noticed that and I've played episode one quite a few times, just had a listen .... oh boy, and there it is .... it is interesting though, podcast saying "now defunct Wagga Wagga Teachers College", and print media are saying "now defunct Armidale Teachers College". H'mm. Completely interesting.
"Wagga Wagga Teachers' College was established in 1947 to provide a two year course for the training of infant and primary school teachers .. "