Summary

This photograph depicts one woman standing on a rope-and-timber swing with two other women standing near her, while an amused young boy looks on from behind a tree. To the left appears to be a young girl, as part of a lacy, light-coloured pinafore and straw hat are partly visible. The woman on the swing wears a wide-brimmed straw hat, medium-hued long-sleeved blouse, dark skirt with sash tied at back, and dark boots. The woman in front of her wears a wide-brimmed dark hat, a lacy, light-coloured long-sleeved blouse, light-coloured print skirt, dark stockings and shoes. She carries a handkerchief in one hand. The third woman is bending over to tie a piece of fabric around the skirt hem of the woman on the swing. She wears a wide-brimmed straw hat, light-coloured long-sleeved dress tied with a sash, and dark shoes. The barefoot little boy wears a straw boater, light-coloured sailor-style shirt, and dark shorts. 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.