Timeline

Lifetime: 1867 - 1922 Passed: ≈ 102 years ago

Title

Writer, Poet

Country/Nationality

Australia

Henry Lawson

Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period and is often called Australia's "greatest short story writer".

Henry Lawson was born 17 June 1867 in a town on the Grenfell goldfields of New South Wales. His father was Niels Hertzberg Larsen, a Norwegian-born miner. Niels Larsen went to sea at 21 and arrived in Melbourne in 1855 to join the gold rush, along with partner William Henry John Slee. Lawson's parents met at the goldfields of Pipeclay (now Eurunderee, Locality Mudgee). Niels and Louisa Albury (1848–1920) married on 7 July 1866 when he was 32 and she 18. On Henry's birth, the family surname was Anglicised and Niels became Peter Lawson. The newly married couple were to have an unhappy marriage. Louisa, after family-raising, took a significant part in women's movements, and edited a women's paper called The Dawn (published May 1888 to July 1905). She also published her son's first volume, and around 1904 brought out a volume of her own, Dert and Do, a simple story of 18,000 words. In 1905 she collected and published her own verses, The Lonely Crossing and other Poems. Louisa likely had a strong influence on her son's literary work in its earliest days. Peter Lawson's grave (with headstone) is in the little private cemetery at Hartley Vale, New South Wales, a few minutes' walk behind what was Collitt's Inn.

In 1903 he bought a room at Mrs Isabel Byers' Coffee Palace in North Sydney. This marked the beginning of a 20-year friendship between Mrs Byers and Lawson. Despite his position as the most celebrated Australian writer of the time, Lawson was deeply depressed and perpetually poor. He lacked money due to unfortunate royalty deals with publishers. His ex-wife repeatedly reported him for non-payment of child maintenance. He was gaoled at Darlinghurst Gaol for drunkenness, wife desertion, child desertion, and non-payment of child support seven times between 1905 and 1909, for a total of 159 days and recorded his experience in the haunting poem "One Hundred and Three" (his prison number) which was published in 1908. He refers to the prison as "Starvinghurst Gaol" because of the meagre rations given to the inmates.

Lawson's treatment (or lack thereof) of Aboriginal Australians in his work has been criticised and debated. Author Ryan Butta writes that there are some "glaring omissions" in Lawson's writings about Bourke, in particular the Afghan cameleers who were there at the time, and being written about in local newspapers, and who were responsible for opening up the interior of the continent.

Books by Henry Lawson

Above Lavender Bay

Poetry

Love Dream Mystery Sea Poems Life

Libby Stone has lived in Lavender Bay all her life. She loves the little seaside town and has big dreams to turn her father's greasy old chippy into a dainty teashop - not that she's told him yet! Finding love isn't easy amongst the cluster of coast...

Reedy River

Poetry

Poems Verses Fortnightly Prose

This Fortnightly Poem is taken from Verses Popular and Humorous (pub 1900). This was the second collection of poems by Australian poet Henry Lawson.

The Shakedown on the Floor

Poetry

Dream Power Future Poems Verses Experiences Communism Human Spirit

In this poem, Henry Lawson captures the loneliness and isolation of life in the Australian bush. The speaker is a swagman, or itinerant worker, who is forced to sleep on the floor of a shearing shed. He is surrounded by the noise of the wind and the...

Bush Debate

Poetry Satire Humour

19th century Culture Poetry social commentary Verse Humor Australia Argument Literary History National Identity Australian Literature Bush Poetry

This collection presents the 'Bush Debate,' a series of satirical poems written by Andrew Barton Paterson and other notable Australian poets in the early 1890s. Published originally in *The Bulletin*, these poems, often contentious in nature, explo...

Ships that Won't Go Down

Fiction Novel

Short Stories Australian history Colonial Period Australian Literature Australian culture

'Ships that Won't Go Down' is an anthology of short stories by renowned Australian writer Henry Lawson. Set against the backdrop of the Australian outback, goldfields, and coastal communities, these stories explore the complex lives and struggles of...

Shame of Going Back

Fiction Drama Tragedy

Isolation Loss Identity Shame social commentary Regret Working class Disillusionment Australian Literature Bush Life Colonial era Rural Australia

'Shame of Going Back' is a poignant short story by Henry Lawson, a renowned Australian author. It explores the themes of shame, regret, and the consequences of societal expectations and the harsh realities of life in the Australian bush. The story c...

Men Who Live It Down

Poetry Fiction Non-Fiction Essays

Poverty Nature Struggle Isolation Life Identity Masculinity social commentary Working class Gold rush Bush Australian Literature

Henry Lawson's 'Men Who Live It Down' is a collection of poems and prose that reflects the hardships and resilience of Australian working-class life, particularly those who lived in the bush. Lawson explores themes of poverty, isolation, and the stru...

In the Days When the World Was Wide, and Other Verses

Poetry History Non-Fiction

Nationalism Identity Rural Life social commentary Working class Early 20th century Australian history Turn of the Century Australian Poetry Bush Poetry Australian Landscape

This volume of poetry by Henry Lawson, a renowned Australian poet, offers a glimpse into the life and times of Australia around the turn of the 20th century. The poems, often described as ballads, depict the harsh realities of rural life, the struggl...

When Your Pants Begin To Go

Fiction

Realism Poverty Tragedy Life Identity social commentary Hardship Colonialism Humor Working class Australia Bush

Henry Lawson's "When Your Pants Begin To Go" is a collection of short stories that provide a raw and often humorous look at life in the Australian bush during the colonial period. These stories delve into the realities of working-class Australians, d...

Scots Of The Riverina

Poetry Memoir Children's Literature

Farm Children's Literature Poetry Australia Harvest Memoir New South Wales Riverina Gundagai

This poem tells the story of a boy in Australia who leaves his home during harvest time, which was considered a serious offense. The poem captures the boy's adventurous spirit and his desire to explore the world beyond his familiar surroundings.

Verses Popular And Humorous

Poetry Satire Humour

Satire Life Rural Life Poetry social commentary Urban Life Verse Humour Folklore Working class Australia Bush

This collection of poems by Henry Lawson, a renowned Australian poet, explores themes of everyday life, social commentary, and the human condition. The poems range from humorous anecdotes and observations to poignant reflections on hardship, injustic...

Outside Track

Poetry Fiction

Short Story Nature Identity social commentary Folklore Working class Colonial Period Outback Australian Literature Bush Poetry Mateship Bush Ballads

Henry Lawson's "Outside Track" is a collection of short stories and poems that vividly capture the lives of ordinary Australians during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Set against the backdrop of the unforgiving Australian bush, Lawson's tale...

Ship

Poetry War Biography

War Biography Poetry Fantasy Memoir Remembrance Day

This book contains a collection of poems and short stories by Henry Lawson, an Australian writer known for his realistic and often grim depictions of life in the Australian outback. The book includes the poem "The Ship," which is a meditation on the...

Route March

Poetry Non-Fiction War

Nationalism War Military Sacrifice Duty Loss Patriotism Soldiers Remembrance Australia Anzac Bush

'The Route March' by Henry Lawson is a powerful and moving poem that explores the themes of war, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of Australian soldiers. Written in the early 20th century, the poem captures the harsh realities of military life and...

Short Stories in Prose and Verse

Poetry Fiction Essays

Nature Short Stories Prose Poetry social commentary Working class Gold rush Early works Bush Australian Literature Australian Identity Life in the Bush

This collection, a snapshot of Henry Lawson's early work, showcases the distinctive voice and themes that would define his career. It features a blend of poems and prose, highlighting his talent for vivid depictions of Australian bush life and the ex...

Pride That Comes After

Poetry Fiction

Short Story Poetry Colonial Period Australian Literature Bush Poetry

This collection of 18 recordings by LibriVox volunteers presents Henry Lawson's classic poem, "The Pride That Comes After." Lawson, an Australian writer and bush poet, is renowned as one of the most significant literary figures of the colonial period...