Harold 'the Kangaroo' Thornton: the extraordinary, forgotten life of the 'greatest genius who ever lived'

The Australian artist was a relentless self-promoter, prolific painter and pro wrestler. He loved a tall tale - but his true story was remarkableGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailIf you checked out the Archibald prize finalists back in 1983, one painting in particular might have caught your eye. Taking up seven feet of wall space, Dr Brown and Green Old Time Waltz is a psychedelic portrait of the then Greens leader, Bob Brown, rendered in rich colours and filled with hidden details: from faces smuggled into the trees to little green men walking around Brown's feet.But just as noteworthy as the painting was the man standing next to it. Clad in hand-painted clothes, with painted false teeth in his mouth and a walking stick he didn't really need in his hand, stood Harold "the Kangaroo" Thornton, the artist and self-described "greatest genius that ever lived".Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...