Story: Picnics and barbecues

This photo album shows scenes from the Government Printing Office picnic of 1921. Businesses, government departments, employers' organisations and trade unions all organised annual picnics based around particular workplaces or trades. The photos show some of the activities at such picnics. These included tug-of-war, running races and apple-eating competitions (where the apples hang from strings and competitors cannot use their hands). Other common picnic sports and games included sack races, three-legged races, 'thread the needle' races, games such as apple bobbing and 'kiss in the ring', nail-driving competitions and guessing the weight of sheep.