Case Study - Reimagining Australia's oldest mainland brewery

Goulburn Brewery is one of Australia’s oldest, bested only by Tasmania’s Cascade. After a long hiatus, new ownership and significant investment, the brewery roared back to life in 2025, inviting locals and visitors to the area to enjoy the classic taste of locally-brewed beers, and a drop of sunshine in its picturesque heritage grounds.

Partnering Genius Agency , we helped develop the brand strategy and messaging for the brewery, getting to the heart of what makes an iconic rural destination, while balancing the appeal to locals and tourists alike.

With ambitions to be a destination brewery, sparking a thriving Goulburn visitor economy, and home to a leading independent beer brand that’s as at home in the paddock as an inner-city bar, our challenge was to craft a narrative that felt authentic and appealing, without feeling flashy or dated.

Anchored in the idea ‘Born Inland’, referencing Goulburn’s history as Australia’s first inland city, we built a brand around three pillars, and how Goulburn Brewery represents them – the inland thirst, the inland spirit and the inland experience.

For the flavour-forward beers themselves, many made to traditional recipes, we wanted to reference heritage, without feeling stale, static or musty. Closing in on the region’s wool heritage, we landed on ‘Wayback’, the herding call farmers make to their sheep dogs. It’s a name that evokes the past, while feeling contemporary and directional.

With the name in place, we then worked with the head brewer to help define the portfolio and develop the hero message for each beer.

Finally, we worked with Made Creative on the packaging development, writing snappy copy to tell the story of the beer, and brewery.