Cirrus@Austlit

'Picnic at Hanging Rock is a significant phenomenon of the Australian cultural landscape, comprising Joan Lindsay's 1967 novel, Peter Weir's 1975 film adaptation5 and the paratexts that surround text and film, such as urban mythology, interviews with participants (which accompany the director's cut edition) and the 1987 publication of Lindsay's The Secret of Hanging Rock, the final chapter edited out from the original book. Picnic explores the idea of an intense human encounter in natural space, and the sense of mystery and experience of loss surrounding this. Given these elements, the pastoral mode is a valuable lens through which to approach Lindsay's and Weir's works.' (p. 160)