Mount Alexander Shire Council’s tourism and visitor services teams manage the Castlemaine, Maldon and Surrounds Facebook and Instagram pages to promote local events, attractions and highlights and to attract visitors to the region.
The central Victorian townships are known for their rich gold rush history, heritage streetscapes, artistic culture and a depth of creativity.
Team Leader Visitor Services, Aileen Walsh, said, “Our work in the destination social media area has reminded us of the deep connections people have with our region, with many Australians having ancestral links back to the gold rush.”
A recent post about the sale of the legendary Castlemaine Rock confectionary business demonstrated how important this connection, and corresponding feeling of nostalgia, is as a driver for visitation to the region.
The Facebook post read – For 165 years this little tin of golden lollies has made car trips and country visits a delight. Who’s got memories of this treasured treat? End of an era, thanks to the Barnes family for the sweet memories.
It reached 64,049 people with 62,536 of those organic (non-paid for!), due to the 360 plus shares. It attracted more than 1,300 responses, 436 comments and about 400 new likes to the page.
“Another of our posts also tapped into these feelings of nostalgia. It was a post about the Vaughan Springs slide,” said Ms Walsh.
It read – The place where childhood memories are made. Who’s been on the slide at Vaughan Springs? The post reached 35,745 people, attracted 726 responses, 128 comments and 80 shares.
Both posts asked a question, had a childhood memory flavour and really got people commenting and reacting.
“They both highlighted how important tapping into the riches of nostalgia can be to engage with people and encourage them to rediscover our region,” she said.
