relaxation

How nice it would be if it still looked like this! No fast food stores, no luxury apartments, no carpark....

Could this be a group of orphan children at the beach on a Sunday, or a field trip of school or church children? They don't seem to be with their separate families - One can see a few adults in the background standing guard, watching. Only one child is completely bare standing at the edge of the waves, another in underwear. I get the feeling they aren't even with this group of children at all. Very few seem to be taking advantage of the ocean. Most all of the children (students ?) are wearing full public dress. Girls are wearing standard white dresses, some with smock aprons, hats, stockings and shoes are on. Boys in full dress and hats as well. Where are their bathing costumes? This group seem to be observing the water rather than enjoying it for seaside activities, early 1900s to 1910s...

Awesome!

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Best Vintage Images on Flickr, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

Henry King (the photographer) took another photograph minutes earlier a little to the left -

"No.1440 Bondi Bay Sydney (H.King Syd:)" NAA, Dated 1894

It looks to me like part of that old tradition of the office picnic, which I remember as a child. Though the ones I remember usually involved some sort of organised sport (like a cricket match), which required more open ground. Aha, I was right. The mystery hike has been office organised (F.J Palmer & Sons Pty Ltd, and the 'sport' is the mystery hike.... )

I love it that there is only one car in the middle. It looks like they all squeezed in.

See www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/41188703101/