"Picnic at Hanging Rock" is a novel by Joan Lindsay published in 1967. Set in 1900, it tells the story of a group of schoolgirls from Appleyard College who go on a picnic to the mysterious Hanging Rock in Australia. During the outing, several girls and their teacher mysteriously disappear, leading to a search that uncovers the town's secrets and the impact of the event on the community. The novel explores themes of innocence, the unknown, and the constraints of society. It has been adapted into a successful film directed by Peter Weir in 1975, which further popularized the story and its haunting atmosphere.