Mrs. Appleyard
Mrs. Appleyard is the headmistress of Appleyard College. She is shown to be calculating and focused on self-preservation. She is a stickler for the rules and frequently reprimands people for falling short of her expectations. When the girls disappear, she is not particularly upset about their being in danger, but is instead concerned about how it will reflect on the school and impact its enrollment. She is often unfriendly and holds a low opinion of almost everyone who attends or works at the college. She has no qualms about being openly rude to her students. The fallout from the disappearances causes her to mentally unravel.
Greta McCraw
Greta McGraw is the mathematics teacher at the college. She is described as being very overqualified for her job, as she is a brilliant mathematician and is paid very little. She enjoys spending time alone and working on challenging math problems. She is frequently irritated by Mrs. Appleyard's many rules and regulations. People say that she is relentless in her quest for mathematical truths. She disappears along with the girls. Edith claims to see her running up the rocks in her undergarments.
Edith Horton
Edith Horton is known as the college dunce. Described as neither bright nor attractive, she is treated rudely by the staff and students. She travels with Miranda, Irma, and Marion into the higher reaches of the rocks, but they go to the monolith without her. She is questioned numerous times about the disappearances but is able to recall almost nothing. She claims to have been induced into a strange dream-like state at the rocks.
Miranda
Miranda is one of the senior girls who goes missing at the beginning of the novel. Despite being present for very little of the book, she occupies a central role, as she occupies many of the character's thoughts. She is very popular at school and the other girls look to her as a leader. Her friend Sara harbors a fixation with her that appears to be somewhat romantic. The narrator notes repeatedly that the characters take comfort in her presence and the look of her face.
Irma Leopold
Irma is another one of the senior girls who goes missing. She is known for being extremely beautiful and wealthy. Mrs. Appleyard tries hard to keep her enrolled at the college, as her father's tuition payments and donations contribute significantly to its finances. Irma is later found alive by Mike Fitzhubert. She can recall almost nothing about the afternoon at Hanging Rock. She is subsequently pulled out of the school by her father, much to Mrs. Appleyard's dismay.
Marion Quade
Marion Quade is another of the missing senior girls. She is close friends with both Miranda and Irma. She is described as being very intelligent and hard working, with a singular focus on her school work. The narrator says that she has spent much of her young life pursuing knowledge. Like Miranda, she is never found.
Sara Waybourne
Sara Waybourne is the youngest girl at Appleyard. She is close friends with Miranda and feels an intense connection with her. She is left at the school the day of the picnic as punishment for misbehavior. She becomes increasingly disturbed by the unrest at the college. She disappears for several days and is later found dead on campus with head injuries seemingly from a fall, suggesting that she committed suicide.
Mike Fitzhubert
Mike Fitzhurbert is a young picnicker who sees the girls on the afternoon of their disappearance. Compelled to seek them out, he later successfully finds Irma. His trip causes him to go into a daze which takes him a few days to properly recover from. He is depicted as being kind and not particularly intelligent.
Albert Crundall
Albert Crundall is a local coachman and Mike's friend. He discovers Mike and Irma following Mike's search of Hanging Rock. He is said to be more careful and worldly than Mike.
Dora Lumley
Dora Lumley is a governess at Appleyard. She is disturbed by how coldly Mrs. Appleyard handles the girls' disappearances. She is later killed in a mysterious hotel fire.
Constable Bumpher
Constable Bumpher is the local policeman assigned to investigate the disappearances at Hanging Rock. His efforts are quickly thwarted, as his searches turn up little.
