Summary

This photograph depicts a large group of children at a Sunday School picnic sitting outdoors on the ground in a rough circle. In the middle of the group stand a man, perhaps a Mr. Crump, and woman, while two other women stand at the outside edge of the circle. The woman in the centre holds a round tray with items upon it, which suggests that the man and woman are perhaps dispensing prizes to the group. In the background is a post-and-rail fence. Notable in left foreground is a wicker baby's carriage on a two-wheeled iron frame. The man is wearing a suit and pith helmet. The three women are dressed in wide-brimmed straw hats, belts, and either dresses or long skirts with lacy or ruffled blouses. One woman carries an umbrella. The little girls are wearing straw hats accented with ribbons, and either smock dresses or dresses tied at the waist. The boys are wearing mostly sailor-style shirts with shorts, and felt hats or straw boaters. This group is most likely from St. Margaret's Church in Croydon, having gathered together for a Sunday School picnic. This photograph was taken in North Queensland but the exact location is unknown.

Due to the isolation experienced by most of the residents in the Normanton and Croydon areas, bush picnics, organized by social clubs and church groups, were a popular outing. These picnics were often for men, women, and children, but sometimes a women's church group would organize a ladies' tea out in the bush. While the events themselves were somewhat informal and social, everyone would wear their "Sunday best". While social etiquette required arms, shoulders and legs to be covered, especially for women, the fabrics used would have been lightweight and durable, such as cotton and thin wool, in deference to the climate.

The photographs in this collection were taken by the Reverend Frederic Charles Hall (1878-1926) during the period 1902-1909 when he was the Anglican Curate appointed to Georgetown in North Queensland. Hall's foremost hobby was photography. He used both a half-plate camera with tripod made by J. Lancaster & Son, Birmingham and a quarter-plate Austral No. 3 made by the Australian company, Baker & Rouse. Glass negatives from Ilford and Austral were used; developing was done by the photographer himself and printing by exposure to sunlight.