The Lady Vanishes: The timeline of Marion Barter's disappearance

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The disappearance of Gold Coast mother Marion Barter has captivated the world, as her daughter Sally Leydon seeks answers.

The Lady Vanishes podcast has reached more than 12 million downloads and streams as the investigative team tracks down leads to Barter’s last known movements.

Listen to Episode Ten of The Lady Vanishes: Conversations here or on your preferred podcast platform.

The team has constructed a timeline in the hope it may trigger more leads.

1945

October 3: Marion Wilson born to parents Jack and Colleen

1967

December: Marion Wilson marries Johnny Warren

Marion & Johnny wedding Credit: Supplied

1969

Marion and Johnny divorce

1973

May 12: Marion’s first child Sally Leydon (nee Brown) is born

1974

October 18: Owen Brown is born

1977

Marion marries Stuart Brown

1979

Marion and Stuart divorce

Marion pictured with a young Owen. Credit: Supplied

1985

June 9: Marion marries Ray Barter at Lapstone, Blue Mountains.

They move to the South Coast of NSW and Marion teaches at the Sussex Inlet Primary School.

1988

Barter family moves to Gerringong after building a new home there.

Marion teaches at Nowra Public School then Koonawarra Primary School near Dapto.

1990

Marion and Ray divorce.

1991

October 24: Marion writes her Last Will and Testament, making Sally her primary beneficiary.

1992

Sally moves to Sydney to go to college.

She had lived always previously lived with Marion.

1993

November: Marion moves to the Gold Coast in preparation for her new job.

She rented a home next door to Lesley Loveday in Patura Drive, Ashmore, while she looked to buy.

Marion was an award winning teacher. Credit: Supplied

1994

January 18: Marion purchases a home at 15 Merinda Court Ashmore for $180,000 to start her new role of heading up the reception class at The Southport School.

December: Sally moves to Southport to live with her mother.

1996

Marion wins Queensland Teaching Excellence Award.

December: The Family spends Christmas together at Moffat Beach in Caloundra.

This was the last time Marion’s sister Deidre spoke with Marion in person before going overseas herself for three months.

1997

April 1 - May 26: Marion’s Medicare card is used at local clinics three times - twice - see below

Tues 1st April 1997 : Marion had a day procedure at the Pindara Private Hospital, in Benowa, Qld.

Thurs 24th April 1997 : Luke GLOVER writes about Marion’s resignation in the school newsletter stating “ be it Pompeii or Tuscany, Marion will be forever held near & dear”.

Wed 7th May, 1997 : Marion had two blood tests at the Queensland Medical Laboratory (QML) pathology centre.

April 25: Marion sells her home in three weeks for $165,000, a loss of $15,000.

May 15: Marion changed her name via deed poll to Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel.

Fri 16th May 1997 : New passport application is signed by Marion’s dentist

Tues 20th May 1997 : Marion applies for a new passport in QLD in REMAKEL

Thurs 22nd May 1997 : New passport is granted

June 8: Marion attends Sally and Chris’ engagement party at their home in Tallai on the Gold Coast.

June 16: Marion writes her resignation letter to The Southport School to leave four days later (20th June).

June 17: Ric Blum in the name of Richard Lloyd Westbury (aka Fernand Remakel, Richard Lloyd Westbury, Richard West, Frederick de Hedervary) leaves Brisbane, Australia, via Japan.

June 21: Marion goes to Chris and Sally’s (with Lesley Loveday) for a roast dinner at Marion’s request.

Missing woman Marion Barter. Credit: 7NEWS

June 22: Marion leaves Brisbane, Australia, for the UK via South Korea. Lesley drives Marion to the bus station in Southport to go to the airport and is the last known person to see her.

June 30: Marion sends Sally a letter postmarked Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England.

July: Sally receives two postcards from Marion, postmarked Sussex Coast and London.

July 7: Date on a postcard sent to Marion’s elderly relative from Brighton, Sussex.

July 31: Ric Blum in the name of Richard Lloyd Westbury (aka Fernand Remakel, Richard Lloyd Westbury, Frederick de Hedervary) arrives back in Brisbane, Australia.

August 1: Marion phones Sally allegedly from Tunbridge Wells, England (late afternoon/early evening AEST).

August 2: Marion arrives back to Australia at Brisbane Airport.

August 7: The date on the postcard from Marion received by her sister Lee.

August 13: Marion’s Medicare card is used at the optometrist in Grafton, NSW.

August – September: Over three and a half weeks, someone withdraws $5,000 every day from Marion’s Commonwealth Bank account at the Byron Bay branch and the Burleigh Heads branch on the Gold Coast.

October 14: Ric Blum opens a Safe Custody Envelope at the Commonwealth Bank.

October 15: Final transaction from Marion’s bank account - reportedly $80,000 from the Commonwealth Bank in Ashmore, Gold Coast.

October 19: Sally calls Owen to see if Marion contacted him for his birthday on the 18th – she hadn’t. Sally then calls the Commonwealth Bank and learns of the $5,000 being withdrawn from Marion’s account in Byron Bay and Burleigh Heads.

October 22: Sally travels to Byron Bay to canvas locals with a photo of Marion. Sally is suspicious the teller at the Commonwealth seemed to know something they weren’t saying after seeing Marion’s picture and making a copy of it. Sally reports Marion missing with Byron Bay police.

October: Sally receives a call from Byron Bay police, who tell her they had located Marion and she didn’t want anyone to know where she was or what she was doing.

1998

February: Marion’s Father Jack (John) Wilson asks the Salvation Army Missing Persons Bureau for help to find Marion.

March 18: The SA Missing Persons Bureau writes to Jack Wilson claiming they spoke to a Police Missing Person’s officer, who in turn spoke with a security officer at Colonial State bank, who claimed Marion withdrew the balance of her account at the Ashmore branch on October 15, 1990, and ‘spoke of starting a new life’. It’s understood 1990 was a typo and should have read 1997.

October 24: Sally marries Chris Leydon at The Southport School chapel. Marion does not attend.

2001

July 20: Sally gives birth to her first child Ella. Marion does not meet her first grandchild.

2002

March 7: Marion’s son Owen dies by suicide after years battling drug addiction. Marion does not attend his funeral. He was 27 years old.

2003

March 3: Salvation Army Family Tracing Service writes to Sally acknowledging her request for help.

July 1: Jack (John) Wilson, Marion’s father, dies after a lengthy illness. Marion does not attend any family events after his death.

2004

Sally does an interview about her missing mum in Woman’s Day magazine.

Unclaimed money remaining in Marion’s bank account reported as $14,889.70

November 6: Johnny Warren dies from lung cancer.

2006

February 7: SA Family Tracing Service writes to Sally to inform her they have given up searching for Marion and that all their searches have turned up negative.

2007

January: Sally contacts Rebecca Kotz at the AFP Missing Persons unit (10 years after Marion’s disappearance). The AFP asks Sally to be the face of missing persons for August that year. They pull her from the campaign at the 11th hour claiming NSWPF can’t use the case due to its sensitivity.

2009

Detective Senior Constable Gary Sheehan, Byron Bay police, takes charge of the investigation into Marion’s disappearance.

2010

May 27: Sally signs a lengthy police statement and provides documentation and photos, as the original police file has been lost. Sally has a DNA test done at Byron Bay police station.

2019

April 1: The Lady Vanishes podcast launches.

May 5: NSW Police announces its Missing Persons Unit will be disbanded and relaunched.

2020

August 16: The NSW Coroner announces an inquest into Marion’s disappearance.

September 24: NSW Police identify a Queensland driver’s licence in the name ‘Fernand Nocolas REMAKEL’, born December 2, 1947.

October 15: Homicide detective Sasha Pinazza goes to the State Library and links the number in the lonely hearts advertisement in Le Courier Australien under the name M F Remakel to Ric Blum. This led to the discovery that he also held a Queensland driver’s licence in the name of Fernand Remakel.

2021

June 21: The inquest begins in Lidcombe, Sydney.

June 26: Reward for information into Marion’s disappearance announced by NSW Police.

2022

February 14: The inquest resumes at Ballina Local Court, then Byron Bay on February 17-18.

February 18: The Coroner announces an extension to the inquest in Byron Bay (April 27-29).

April 27-29: Final days of the inquest in Byron Bay

Age progression simulation of Marion. Credit: Supplied

October 19: Inquest reopens with new evidence from former Byron Bay State Bank manager Joan Hazlett.

October 26: Inquest final submissions.

November 28: NSW Coroner announces findings which were due to be delivered on November 30 have been postponed indefinitely pending new investigation.

2023

May 31: The inquest resumes in Lismore Court.

June 1: Blum gives evidence in Lismore Court.

June 2: Blum gives evidence via video link at Lismore Court.

2024

February 29: Coroner to release her findings.

Listen

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Get in touch

The Lady Vanishes has launched a new website solely for those with information about Marion Barter to anonymously tip off the team investigating her disappearance. The new site offers anyone with information, who does not wish to be identified, absolute privacy to pass on tips and information about what happened to Marion after she vanished in 1997.

If you need support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.