Picnic at Hanging Rock

“Everyone agreed that the day was just right for the picnic to Hanging Rock.” Joan Lindsay, Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Everyone knows the film and the book, but what is the drawing power of Hanging Rock? Geologically, Hanging Rock is mamelon formed by layers of lava that squeezed out of the ground then weathered into the peaks and boulders you see today.

It was originally named Mount Diogenes by explorer Major Mitchell in 1836, and later became a hideout for bushrangers such as Mad Dog Morgan. Then, on St Valentine’s Day in 1900, a group of schoolgirls went for a Picnic at Hanging Rock and three of them were never seen again. Or so the story goes…

Today, Hanging Rock is home to one of Victoria’s cutest race tracks, it’s the venue for the annual Harvest Picnic at Hanging Rock, and it’s a lovely place to go for a walk or enjoy lunch at the terrific little Hanging Rock café. Click here for more info.

And be warned – romantics swear that on moonlit nights they can see three girls in white dresses picking their way through the boulders of Hanging Rock just opposite SkyHouse Mount Macedon. Or so the story goes…

Image:
Image:

SkyHouse
Mount Macedon
Macedon Ranges (near Woodend)
Victoria, Australia


All images © Jonathan Hawley