Henry Lawson was one of Australia’s most famous and beloved writers, distinguished in both poetry and short stories. He is part of the “Bush Ballad” school of poetry, and more generally the realist tradition of writing. He was born on June 17, 1867, in Grenfell, New South Wales. His father worked as a gold prospector and former sailor, and his mother was a feminist and social radical. While a young boy, Lawson developed an illness that led to a hearing deficiency, which later became near deafness. This process was one of the most important catalysts for his turn to writing.
Lawson attended school sporadically and then worked for his father, who had become a building contractor. After his...
