The picnic races in photographs
Picnic races were seen by some as a continuation of the Edwardian tradition of racing and hunting for the upper classes. They were indeed very popular as a place to see and be seen. News photographers such as Sam Hood visited country picnic races to photograph local society ladies and gentlemen as well as visiting dignitaries.
The photographs below show picnic races in various New South Wales localities, including Yass, Deepwater and Wanouri, during the most popular period for picnic races in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
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> View more photos of the Yass picnic races by Sam Hood in the State Library's catalogue 