Well spotted...interesting example. The author has woven lot of these clues into the narrative

fa·tal·ism/ˈfātlˌizəm/Noun

"The belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable."

What can you add to the points/discussion below.

An important idea in the novel is the notion of fatalism. As in a Shakespearean tragedy, we sense from the very beginning that certain events are predetermined and that a tragic course of events cannot be avoided. The author does this in a number of ways. Some of these ways include;

* An omniscient narrator

In the opening line for example, the narrator states;
Everyone agreed that the day was just right for the
picnic to Hanging Rock
This opening dramatic irony creates collusion between the reader and the author. No one except the narrator and the reader realise that the day will end tragically. This idea of fatalism is developed in other ways including;
* Foreshadowing
* Comments made by characters
* The description of the rock/bush
* The description of the animal & insect world
* The sense of Gothic
* References to time
* Other

Expand on one or more of these with examples from the text.

In chapter two, a sense of fatalism is created when all the watches stop at midday. There is a supernatural force or an omnipresent being as midday is the most intense part of the day. Time and routine become insignificant in the bush due to the power of nature. – Melissa and Beatrice

The example of the clocks stopping is one of the most striking [no pun intended!]