Tourism opportunities rise as people flock to watch Mt Barker filmed Rams

People around Australia are taking notice of the Great Southern town of Mt Barker. Box office hit Rams was released two weeks ago, putting our picturesque region front and centre in cinemas across the country. After filming in 2018, the producers even decided to stick with the town’s real name on the silver screen. The movie stars Australian and New Zealand acting greats Michael Caton and Sam Neill, who play estranged brothers and sheep farmers in Mt Barker — and it is getting rave reviews. From the Stirling Range to our rugged coastline, from Mt Barker’s pub to its main street, Rams is a feature-length showcase of the town and its surrounds. The film is currently in top spot at the Australian box office. With the town’s named plastered across big screens, Mt Barker Tourist Bureau chairwoman Kathryn MacNeil said there had never been a better time to market the town as a tourism destination. The bureau launched a social media campaign — #visitmtbarkerwa — in October to piggyback on the publicity from the film. “With the support of local sponsors, the campaign aims to link the Rams movie with the local economy — businesses, tourist attractions, accommodation and events,” Ms MacNeil said. “The film features many recognisable landmarks and landscapes, in the Great Southern. “Throughout the promotion of the movie, the bureau has had a number of key opportunities to cross-promote our region through regional displays and produce tastings at advanced screenings in Perth, window displays in Perth cinemas, feature videos produced by sponsors and newspaper advertising.” Orana Cinemas Albany has been flooded with people eager to see how their corner of the world looks in a major film. Manager Memo Cardoza said the release was timely because new releases were limited because of the global effects of COVID-19. “There are no other big new releases until Christmas time, and the release of the movie was always going to be big but that has made it even busier,” he said. “It is a big-budget movie and you can see that because it is made really well. “The scenery of Mt Barker looks really beautiful in it ... people will wonder where Mt Barker is and they will see it is close to Albany. “People will be curious.” It is not just familiar places that people will recognise in the film, but also lots of familiar faces of locals who scored roles in the production. Mr Cardoza said he had a woman come to watch Rams because her sheep were in the film. Shire of Plantagenet president Chris Pavlovich said the fact producers kept Mt Barker’s true identity in the film would have an impact. “That publicity has to pay some sort of dividend down the line,” he said. “The tagline in the movie was mountains to the sea and that is very much all of us in the Amazing South Coast. “The town is busy, the accommodation is booked out, the restaurants are busy, the wineries are selling their wine domestically — everyone is busy. “I think that’s down to a mix of no one being able to travel overseas, goodpublicity from Rams and the showcasing of adventure tourism.” Cr Pavlovich said he was also happy to see the town’s agricultural links promoted. “It is highlighting the quality of sheep and wool that this area is renowned for,” he said. Even before the release of the film, he said it had a big effect on the town. “I think the Rams movie was a good learning curve for the locals, many even took a part in the film,” he said. “The stimulus to the economy, they spent arguably $1 million in local services in a matter of months. The pubs were busy with all the actors and support crews having meals at the end of the day. “It was a good experience for our locals and for our Shire and let’s hope it is popular on the screens.”