As anyone can see, the chapter is quite unfilmable.” As Lindsay’s literary agent John Taylor later admitted, “It is highly unlikely that there would have been a rush to buy the film rights in 1972 if chapter 18 had not been deleted. The omission of chapter 18 not only fuelled the interest surrounding the novel, but became the foundation upon which the Australian film industry built itself. ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ became one Australia’s most treasured novels, a success that owed much to its blend of dark nostalgia and a haunting mystery that goes unsolved. Joan consented, and chapter 18 was removed. Might the story benefit from a little more ambiguity?’” She suggested deleting the final chapter. Editor Sandra Forbes wrote back to Lindsay: “I really enjoyed reading this, it seems to have the right blend of ‘truth” and fiction. Lindsay immediately set her dream to paper, and two weeks later, her novel ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ was complete. Four schoolgirls leave the grounds to explore the area, but only two return.
She had visions and vivid dreams – one of which revealed itself over a series of consecutive nights: on Valentine’s Day, the pupils of an exclusive female boarding school go on a summer picnic in the Australian bush. She couldn’t wear a watch, because they stopped around her. Strange coincidences were a prominent feature of Joan Lindsay’s life.
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