Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, June 1997 #12

[KiwiNZ]

I think that was in Bronwen's evidence from the inquest. They'd met him, he was a school teacher from her last school. He visited her for a while at Ashmore till they went their separate ways, if that's what you're thinking of KiwiNZ?

yes thank you - so not RB lol

Ah it was the inquest

 

[BonnieB]

Yes I thought LLD did mention a mysterious handyman boyfriend???

Why would RB tell JO he had thousands of cedar? trees in Nymboida?
I searched for historical society info and photos of Nymboida some time ago. I found the history of the area very eerie. Will try find that again.

YES! Seems like a really ODD thing to say, doesn't it? I mean, it's not something you'd just pull out of your hat. Those tiny grains of truth that he weaves into his enormous lies makes me wonder if he had some connection there. I searched for things like a "Cedar Cottage" in that area but had no luck. There is something there, I know it!
He claimed that he didn't even know where Nymboida was located yet he boasted to JO of owning 20,000 acres there. Something is fishy in the forest!

 

[MrsWattle]

YES! Seems like a really ODD thing to say, doesn't it? I mean, it's not something you'd just pull out of your hat. Those tiny grains of truth that he weaves into his enormous lies makes me wonder if he had some connection there. I searched for things like a "Cedar Cottage" in that area but had no luck. There is something there, I know it!
He claimed that he didn't even know where Nymboida was located yet he boasted to JO of owning 20,000 acres there. Something is fishy in the forest!

Yes. It certainly is strange to boast about a place with thousands of acres Nymboida. I'm wondering if he had friends living in that area. Or knew someone with cedar trees.

Ulmarra-Nymboida Heritage Study | Clarence Conversations

 

[BonnieB]

On that question did she or did she not return -

what would be the advantage of having someone come back on Florabella's passport ?

A far as RB is concerned change you name and you cant be traced, this has worked for him for 50 years, so why harm her in the UK and then have someone come back as Florabella ?

Just interested in others views as to why he would use a stand in on a flight as Florabella

For the life of me, I can't see why someone would risk travelling on a forged passport back to Australia. The photo would have to be changed unless MB had a twin.
The most logical explanation is that it WAS Marion.

 

[Liselle]

For the life of me, I can't see why someone would risk travelling on a forged passport back to Australia. The photo would have to be changed unless MB had a twin.
The most logical explanation is that it WAS Marion.

It would be nice if we could see a pic (taken by a professional photographer!) of DdeH in 1996 and if there were any similarities to MB. I can't remember where the CCTV/photo that was captured somewhere, which SL said looked very much like her mother. Help please?

 

[MrsWattle]

Yes! When I saw the photo of the pub at Ulmurra I remembered stopping there on a trip to Queensland in the 90's. I had to be dragged away from the little shops full of old wares. MB could have easily spent time there and it's on a direct route between Iluka and South Grafton. As you say @MrsWattle, it would also be a place RB frequented on the hunt for anything he could on-sell or to off-load some of his ill gotten gains.

Ulmurra and Nymboida seem to be connected. And Iluka Grafton nearby. No wonder they put that huge billboard of Marion in that area.

Photos | Ulmarra-Nymboida Heritage Study | Clarence Conversations

 

[MrsWattle]

I did some Google searches again for Nymboida Cedar and the National Park came up.

Nymboi-Binderay National Park | Visitor info | NSW National Parks

 

[BonnieB]

Yes I thought LLD did mention a mysterious handyman boyfriend???

Why would RB tell JO he had thousands of cedar? trees in Nymboida?
I searched for historical society info and photos of Nymboida some time ago. I found the history of the area very eerie. Will try find that again.

Now if I wanted to hide something/some body, I can't think of a better, more isolated road within an easy drive from Grafton. As you say @MrsWattle, an eerie place.

The Old Grafton to Glen Innes Road – A Journey Back In Time - On The Road -

 

[MrsWattle]

According to JO on the trip to Bali they stayed budget accom, They did a bit of backstreet driving, nothing special!
I'm looking at backstreets in Grafton. Yes also some old historical places and a ramshackle storage facility south of Grafton.
I hope some information has been reported since the Billboard in that area.

 

[MrsWattle]

I found this old letter from Nymboida. Interesting it's from 1910. The person mentioned AP seems to be in Dorrigo electoral rolls with possible family in Clarence Street Sydney. I also put the AP name through public ancestry trees and found a connection Weiss @mishy66 posted.
Sheep farming was probably a main industry in the area

 

[mishy66]

It seemed a rather direct question about Iluka to both SL and to DdH. I can't recall any other reference to that town which as you say, is a small coastal village.
I believe the "boat" question was in reference to RB's claim to have owned a boat when conning Monique in Luxembourg.
Regarding the car, it was a white Mitsubishi Magna (Reg PVC096) purchased on 11/8/97. DdH claimed it was sold on 30/11/97 due to it needing expensive gear box repairs. She also claimed it was purchased for her 16 year-old daughter, who drove it to work. Correct me if I'm wrong here but I think she would need to be 17 years old to drive without a licensed driver with her. She was not 17 until April 1998 so that excuse does not hold water. There was another reason he purchased that car! And, IMO a very good reason it was quickly sold!!
I have always suspected the car was a major key to solve this mystery.

Agree. No way that car was bought for the daughter.
Funny that they have one car all their lives then decide to buy a car... for 3 months

I also am keen to know more about the motorbike that was mentioned at the inquest.....

 

[BonnieB]

Agree. No way that car was bought for the daughter.
Funny that they have one car all their lives then decide to buy a car... for 3 months

I also am keen to know more about the motorbike that was mentioned at the inquest.....

Do you mean the one RB said he saw at MB's house? He may have invented that, then again?? It's hard to sort his lies from facts.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

When the inquest resumes, I wonder if he will still be using a walker or will he have upgraded to a wheelchair.

 

[mishy66]

Do you mean the one RB said he saw at MB's house? He may have invented that, then again?? It's hard to sort his lies from facts.

No the one that Casselden mentioned...'Do you own a motorbike Mr Blooooom....."

 

[mishy66]

When the inquest resumes, I wonder if he will still be using a walker or will he have upgraded to a wheelchair.

If he has the walker then hopefully it will be one that actually is built for HIS frame, not that of a little old lady he must have snapped it up on his way to the courthouse...

 

[BonnieB]

No the one that Casselden mentioned...'Do you own a motorbike Mr Blooooom....."

Really? How did I miss that? How many times have I heard "We only ever had the ONE car". That wouldn't be a lie if he owned a motorbike, would it?

 

[mishy66]

I found this old letter from Nymboida. Interesting it's from 1910. The person mentioned AP seems to be in Dorrigo electoral rolls with possible family in Clarence Street Sydney. I also put the AP name through public ancestry trees and found a connection Weiss @mishy66 posted.
Sheep farming was probably a main industry in the area

Funny you should mention this @MrsWattle

I have been down the stamp collectors stampede after a couple of sleuths posted up about Renov Pubs possibly being connected to philatelic products...

He mentioned at the inquest he "studied Pre-Columbian history at the Academy in Brussels" AND that after he was picked up at the orphanage "they went to Germany to live because Andre/Abel Wouters was in the Army"...
I don't believe anything he says, but there are truths woven in between the lies as we know.

And he does love history as a base to his stories.

So I went searching for an Arts Academy that would align to the history of philatelics and found State Academy of Arts in Germany, Karlsruhe Spa
and
Royal Academy of Arts and Design ('s-Hertogenbosch) - Wikipedia

Which then led me to Fluxus founders Willem de Ridder and Wim van der Linden - Wikipedia
And Dorothea Meijer and American Robert Watts
VERY interesting read. They produced performance "events", which included enactments of scores, as well as architecture, design, literature, and publishing.
Fluxus - Wikipedia
collective – Ana Lopes
Artistamp - Wikipedia
Watts went on to create the first ever faux/ fake sheet of postage stamps with fine art in the 60's.
Robert Watts: The Postman of the Fluxus Stream

and leads into some of the greatest stamp forgeries to date.

HUGE business in this line of work. List of stamp forgers | Wikiwand
Philatelic fakes and forgeries | Wikiwand
and postmarks...
Stamp Forgeries - Faked Cancellations

and Rainer Blum who @Eyespywithmylittleeye found...
Rainer Blüm
The Blum forgeries: 600 forged postmarks and expert marks.

Which yesterday took me full circle back to Adolph Pauls with his little paper art in Nymboida - there's that area again..
Memories of Coffs Harbour High School 1958-59 - Our stories

Something is just not ringing true with all the house moving, his forged die, 'forged cancellations', and storage containers full of ......books....

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

It seemed a rather direct question about Iluka to both SL and to DdH. I can't recall any other reference to that town which as you say, is a small coastal village.
I believe the "boat" question was in reference to RB's claim to have owned a boat when conning Monique in Luxembourg.
Regarding the car, it was a white Mitsubishi Magna (Reg PVC096) purchased on 11/8/97. DdH claimed it was sold on 30/11/97 due to it needing expensive gear box repairs. She also claimed it was purchased for her 16 year-old daughter, who drove it to work. Correct me if I'm wrong here but I think she would need to be 17 years old to drive without a licensed driver with her. She was not 17 until April 1998 so that excuse does not hold water. There was another reason he purchased that car! And, IMO a very good reason it was quickly sold!!
I have always suspected the car was a major key to solve this mystery.

So agree BonnieB. The timeline to the 2nd car is so incriminating and you feel AC knew far more than he was prepared to let on at the inquest. I assume in Australia there would be a full paper trail of the Mitsubishi Magna after it was supposedly disposed of on the 30 Nov 97? Was it sent for scrap or sold and if so who to?

 

[MrsWattle]

Funny you should mention this @MrsWattle

I have been down the stamp collectors stampede after a couple of sleuths posted up about Renov Pubs possibly being connected to philatelic products...

He mentioned at the inquest he "studied Pre-Columbian history at the Academy in Brussels" AND that after he was picked up at the orphanage "they went to Germany to live because Andre/Abel Wouters was in the Army"...
I don't believe anything he says, but there are truths woven in between the lies as we know.

And he does love history as a base to his stories.

So I went searching for an Arts Academy that would align to the history of philatelics and found State Academy of Arts in Germany, Karlsruhe Spa
and
Royal Academy of Arts and Design ('s-Hertogenbosch) - Wikipedia

Which then led me to Fluxus founders Willem de Ridder and Wim van der Linden - Wikipedia
And Dorothea Meijer and American Robert Watts
VERY interesting read. They produced performance "events", which included enactments of scores, as well as architecture, design, literature, and publishing.
Fluxus - Wikipedia
collective – Ana Lopes
Artistamp - Wikipedia
Watts went on to create the first ever faux/ fake sheet of postage stamps with fine art in the 60's.
Robert Watts: The Postman of the Fluxus Stream

and leads into some of the greatest stamp forgeries to date.

HUGE business in this line of work. List of stamp forgers | Wikiwand
Philatelic fakes and forgeries | Wikiwand
and postmarks...
Stamp Forgeries - Faked Cancellations

and Rainer Blum who @Eyespywithmylittleeye found...
Rainer Blüm
The Blum forgeries: 600 forged postmarks and expert marks.

Which yesterday took me full circle back to Adolph Pauls with his little paper art in Nymboida - there's that area again..
Memories of Coffs Harbour High School 1958-59 - Our stories

Something is just not ringing true with all the house moving, his forged die, 'forged cancellations', and storage containers full of ......books....

That's very interesting, I found AP in Clarence st, Market Street Sydney with grocery store, main Streets in Sydney with restaurants, tearooms, wine licences, and the Australian Post Office licence in Bathurst St sydney. His home addresses were in, Paddington, Vaucluse etc. A few bankruptcies, lots of address and businesses. There is a family connection through Elsie Weiss (Inverell) /Robert Walker (butcher) @mishy66

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Random. RB went overseas four times in 1995, so just after the 1994 Les Petites Annonces ad. What do you reckon the odds are that he arranged to meet the lady from Bollene, France, who also put up the ad on the same date as he did. He would have found that irresistible, one would think. Total speculation of course.