"Picnic at Hanging Rock" is a novel by Joan Lindsay published in 1967. The story is set in 1900 and follows a group of schoolgirls from Appleyard College who go on a picnic at the mysterious Hanging Rock in Victoria, 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. The ambiguity surrounding the characters' fate has sparked much discussion and analysis over the years.