In Picnic at Hang Rock, audiences and readers were introduced to the mysterious Australian Bush. In both the novel and the film there is a vital link between the characters and the Australian landscape, and they are often overwhelmed by the spectacle of the rock's presence. The presence of the rock also had a psychological impact on its visitors. Peter Weir, through the use of camera angles and background music, brought Joan Lindsay's novel to life and both intentionally invested the Australian Bush with a mythical, unknowable presence. The film depicts the rock as an intimidating and dominant figure. The Rock was seen as an immortal presence, rather than simply a part of the normal landscape. The novel also contains a very elaborate description of the rock, which is much more detailed than that of the characters. This was also carried over into the film. The rock and landscape were seen in grand and intimate detail. We were shown close-ups of birds resting on tree branches, snakes and lizards crawling on the floor, and even flowers. In some scenes where there were low-angle shots of the rock - showing both the significance and magnificence of the rock in relation to the characters - the shape of the rock almost resembled faces, suggesting that the rock is always watching over them. the characters. Those who inhabited the rock could be seen as an intrusion into the Australian bush, and the rock did not welcome them. At one point, Joan Lindsay compares the rock to a tombstone: “On the steep southern façade the play of golden light and deep purple hues revealed the intricate construction of long vertical slabs; some smooth like giant tombstones, others ribbed and grooved by the prehistoric architecture of… middle of paper… an Englishman not particularly suited to the Australian bush. The use of voiceover in this particular scene suggested that Michael could somehow see, hear and experience what the girls were doing on the rock – as the novel also suggests: "He was wide awake and stumbling on his feet when he heard her laughing ". , a little further on." The strong presence of the rock undoubtedly had a great impact on the psychological state of mind of the characters, and this further intensifies the mysterious element of the Australian Bush. Picnic at Hanging Rock is a story with many ambiguous elements. Both the novel and the film portray the rock as an unknowable presence in similar ways, through the use of intimate descriptions of the rock and the various camera angles used in the film. For viewers, the disappearance of the girls, just like that of the Australian Bush, remains a mystery.