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It's been years since I read this, and have not had a chance to re-read it for good discussion here, but I do have a few thoughts that seem relevant:
I am not sure at what point I became aware that this was not a true story, but I am fascinated at how well this myth has survived - to the extent that people still claim to find the location mysterious or creepy*. For something that started as an arguably cynical marketing suggestion that the author went along with, it has become an enduring legend that has drawn a lot of money and fame to the location in Victoria.
I was not a big fan of either the book or the movie, but my memory is that the (1975) movie did a good job of capturing atmosphere of the book. It may be that I would be more open to the atmosphere created by the book now than I was as a younger reader.
The name "Hanging Rock" makes for a good title, it's a shame the actual hanging rock at Mount Diogenes is difficult to photograph for dramatic effect - which is why you almost never see it.
* I think a lot of natural locations can feel mysterious, depending on a persons mood, the weather and so on. Same is true for big old empty houses. Add in a creepy story and legends emerge that can become self-sustaining. Where I grew up on the flood plains of northern Victoria there are a few outcrops of granite similar to (but much smaller and more-isolated than) Hanging Rock. One of these my family visited regularly for picnics and my father would delight in telling us kids the stories he learned, when he was growing up in the area, of how one huge cliff-face became known as "Suicide Rock".
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