Picnic at Hanging Rock Character Analysis

Mrs. Appleyard

A mysterious English widow who is the founder and headmistress of Appleyard College. Very little is known about Mrs. Appleyard’s background and how she came to Australia—but her obsession with accruing wealth and social clout… read analysis of Mrs. Appleyard

Michael (Mike) Fitzhubert

A young Englishman visiting his wealthy aunt and uncle in Lake View for the summer. Michael Fitzhubert finds himself swept up in the mysterious disappearances at Hanging Rock, having been picnicking at the grounds… read analysis of Michael (Mike) Fitzhubert

Albert Crundall

The Fitzhuberts’ coachman. A young man not much older than Michael Fitzhubert, Albert is crass yet funny, common yet gentle, and ruddy-faced yet handsome. He represents a stark contrast to the pampered inhabitants of… read analysis of Albert Crundall

Irma Leopold

A popular and wealthy senior girl at Appleyard College. Irma disappears mysteriously along with Marion Quade, Miranda, and Miss McCraw up on Hanging Rock—but unlike the others, she is found alive within… read analysis of Irma Leopold

Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers

The French and dancing teacher at Appleyard College. Without a doubt the most popular and beloved of all the teachers and governesses, Mademoiselle is gentle, kind, thoughtful, and most of all curious about her students… read analysis of Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers

Miranda

The most popular and beloved senior girl at Appleyard College and one of the school’s shining examples of a fine pupil and proper young lady. A blonde and angelic beauty, Miranda is as kind as… read analysis of Miranda

Marion Quade

A popular and highly intelligent senior girl at Appleyard College. Marion is smart and self-assured, and she is never far from her constant companions Irma and Miranda. She can occasionally be a bit of… read analysis of Marion Quade

Miss Greta McCraw

The math teacher and a governess at Appleyard College. The thin, angular, astute, and logical Miss McCraw is well-enough liked by her students, though her eccentric, highly analytical nature is occasionally off-putting to the girls… read analysis of Miss Greta McCraw

Edith Horton

The class dunce at Appleyard College. The portly, unpopular Edith receives vicious treatment from her classmates and is often the subject of their ire and ridicule. When Edith tags along on the senior girls’ excursion… read analysis of Edith Horton

Sara Waybourne

The youngest boarder at Appleyard College. Sara Waybourne is small for her age, but what she lacks in size, she makes up for in attitude. Dreamy and defiant, Sara is an orphan whose finances are… read analysis of Sara Waybourne

Mrs. Cutler

The gardener’s wife, who is a skilled nurse. She takes care of Irma after the girl is found alive on Hanging Rock—but because of Mrs. Cutler’s modesty, she fails to tell authorities that Irma… read analysis of Mrs. Cutler

Minor Characters

Miss Dora Lumley

A teacher and governess at Appleyard College. Miss Lumley is a stickler for rules (and a stick in the mud), and as such is unpopular among the girls. This means Miss Lumley is also quite often in conflict with the more popular Mademoiselle.

Rosamund

A kind and reserved student at Appleyard College.

Minnie

One of the members of the domestic staff at Appleyard College. A kind, gregarious, and slightly flighty young woman who is in a relationship with Tom, the school’s groom.

Mr. Edward Whitehead

The older, kindly gardener at Appleyard College. Toward the end of the novel, Mr. Whitehead is the first person to discover Sara Waybourne’s mutilated corpse in a hydrangea bush behind the main house.

Tom

The groom and stable boy at Appleyard College. He and Minnie are in love, and eventually decide to marry and leave their posts at the school for jobs at Lake View.

Mr. Ben Hussey

The owner of a local cab company. Mr. Hussey is the one to drive the Appleyard College girls out to Hanging Rock on the day of their fateful picnic—and, later in the novel, to bring Mrs. Appleyard herself there for her first (and last) visit.

Doctor McKenzie

A local doctor who attends to the girls at Appleyard College in the wake of the incident at Hanging Rock, and later sees Mike Fitzhubert through his convalescence after Mike’s own disastrous journey there.

Constable Bumpher

The head of local police. A thoughtful and curious man who takes his work seriously.

Jim Grant

A young policeman who assists Constable Bumpher. When Bumpher is unavailable one fateful morning, Jim is the one to help Albert rescue Mike after his ill-fated solo search at Hanging Rock.

Reg Lumley

Miss Lumley’s brother. A shabby but pompous man devoted to his sister.

Mr. Jasper Cosgrove

Sara Waybourne’s legal guardian.

Colonel Fitzhubert

Mike’s uncle. A bombastic and wealthy man who longs for his nephew to marry well.

Mrs. Fitzhubert

Colonel Fitzhubert’s wife and Mike’s aunt. A superficial woman who loves throwing garden parties and entertaining guests at her vast Lake View estate.

Doctor Cooling

A local doctor who helps to rescue Mike Fitzhubert after his accident at Hanging Rock.

Mr. Leopold

Irma’s father.

Mrs. Valange

The visiting art teacher at Appleyard College. She has a soft spot for Sara Waybourne, but is forced to leave her position after an argument with Mrs. Appleyard.