Lasseter's Bones digs up the tale of a fool and his gold forever parted in the Aussie outback

This fascinating documentary revisits the legend of Lasseter's Reef, a mythical seam of gold lodged deep in the Australian outback

Bob Lasseter in the outback in a scene from the documentary Lasseter's Bones.

Lasseter's Bones (G)

Rating: 3 stars

Director: Luke Walker (Beyond Our Ken)

Starring: Bob Lasseter, Luke Walker, Dick Smith.

This fascinating documentary revisits the legend of Lasseter's Reef, a mythical seam of gold lodged deep in the Australian outback.

In 1897, a teenage vagabond by the name of Harold Lasseter believed he stumbled upon the bonanza on an ill-fated desert trek. Over 30 years later - having persuaded investors to fund a search party - Lasseter went to retrieve the riches he believed were rightly is.

There was one problem. The vast quarry of gold was nowhere to be found. The expedition broke up, and Lasseter forged on alone. He died soon after.

Ever since, seasoned prospectors, maverick adventurers, total crackpots and Dick Smith have canvassed the same vast territory that may still harbour Lasseter's fabled reef. They've all returned with the same results: a lot of red sand, and a lot of red ink on their bank statements.

British-born filmmaker Luke Walker caught the Lasseter bug in 2010. Soon after, he found himself buddying-up with Lasseter's elderly son Bob to give the area another going-over. Not surprisingly, this odd couple was doomed to fail like all the others.

However, as Walker comes under the thrall of the Lasseter phenomenon, so too does the viewer. The retelling of the colourful life story of Harold Lasseter becomes just as intriguing as the whereabouts of that pesky precious metal.

Turns out Mr Lasseter was not averse to trying a con or two to make a quick buck. In fact, there are some who believe he faked his own death and took off overseas. Though the strange case of Harold Lasseter and his "ghost gold" remains a riddle without an answer, this documentary fills in what blanks it can with poise and purpose.

Lasseter's Gold is now showing in all states excluding SA