Fairfax Media understands the alleged incident prompted a series of meetings between WA Nationals and federal party figures over four days from Friday, February 16 to Monday, February 19.
Present during some of those talks in Perth were the party's national president, Larry Anthony, and its federal director, Ben Hindmarsh - both of whom were already in the city to provide their analysis of the party's 2017 state election campaign.
Ms Marriott lodged the formal complaint on Tuesday, February 20, at Mr Anthony's urging.
The same day, WA Nationals parliamentary team leader Mia Davies became the first Nationals politician to publicly call for Mr Joyce to resign, citing damage to the Nationals' brand.
Barnaby Joyce supporters believe the former deputy PM was forced out over a sexual harassment complaint.
Photo: Alex EllinghausenSources within WA claim Ms Davies was aware of, but did not refer to, a specific allegation of sexual harassment during her statement condemning Mr Joyce's leadership. However her intervention was seen as a key escalation in the public pressure that forced his resignation four days later.
Having telephoned Mr Joyce on Tuesday, Mr Anthony and the Nationals' legal counsel Bernard Ponting visited Armidale on Wednesday. The purpose of the meeting was to apprise the deputy prime minister of the complaint, however Mr Joyce interpreted it as a quit-or-be-outed ultimatum.
That meeting lasted some four hours and while the written complaint was not handed over, the discussion left Mr Joyce with little doubt he was facing the likelihood it would go public. A source close to Mr Joyce confirmed he believed the message was clear: resign or weather a public storm.
Mr Anthony flatly rejects any suggestion he pressured Mr Joyce to resign during their meeting, or that he threatened or implied a failure to stand down would result in the complaint going public.
Barnaby Joyce as a backbencher in Parliament on Monday.
Photo: Dominic LorrimerHe also rejected any suggestion the Nationals leaked the complaint to the media on Thursday evening last week. That same day, Nationals backbencher Andrew Broad called for Mr Joyce to stand down.
Announcing his resignation on Friday once the sexual harrassment allegation had been reported on the front page of The Daily Telegraph, Mr Joyce conceded it was too much to withstand.
"I've asked for the right of the person who's made the allegation and I've asked for my right of defence that that be referred to the police. But it's quite evident that you can't go to the (parliamentary) dispatch box with issues like that surrounding you," he said.
"I just thought that has to be the straw that breaks the camel's back."
Fairfax Media understands a lawyer for the Nationals has requested a group of rural women who have concerns over Mr Joyce's behaviour at functions detail any complaints they have so the party executive can assess them.
Fairfax Media earlier this month reported a senior adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was warned that Mr Joyce had allegedly misbehaved at a 2011 awards night, according to a series of text messages.
Nationals president Larry Anthony.
Photo: Alex EllinghausenMr Anthony refused to answer whether any other complaints had been received about Mr Joyce.
In a statement released Saturday, Ms Marriott expressed her disappointment the complaint had been made public.
"On February 20, 2018, I wrote a formal letter of complaint to the federal executive of the National Party outlining an allegation of sexual harassment against Barnaby Joyce," she said.
"I want to stress that I never intended for this issue to become public.
"I requested that a formal and confidential investigation into this incident be undertaken by the National Party to ensure there is accountability in relation to the incident I raise, and to prevent this type of inappropriate behaviour towards women in the future.
"This complaint was not made solely to address the incident against me - it is about speaking up against inappropriate behaviour by people in powerful positions."
Mr Hindmarsh did not return calls on Monday.
With Jacqueline Maley
Mark Kenny is the national affairs editor for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based at Parliament House
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