AUSTRALIA. — Henry Lawson was born on June 17, 1867, on the Grenfell goldfields in New South Wales. He became one of Australia’s best-known fiction writers of the colonial period.
Most of his works dwelt on the Australian bush, accurately depicting the difficult conditions of life on dry, dusty outback stations and in bush towns. Unlike his contemporary, A.B. “Banjo” Paterson, he did not romanticise life in the bush, and any humour he displayed tended to be dry and sardonic, rather than like Paterson’s larrikin wit.
Lawson gained a loyal following when The Bulletin started to publish his stories and poems in 1888.
However, he never really recovered from his childhood hardships and rejection from his peers, and in his later years became an alcoholic.
He died at home alone on September 2, 1922.
He was given a State Funeral, which was attended by the Prime Minister, William Morris Hughes, and his brother-in-law, Jack Lang, the Premier of New South Wales.
Thousands of citizens who had learned to relate to his writing also paid their respects at his funeral.
