Henry Lawson

Henry Lawson was one of Australia’s most celebrated literary giants. Best known for his stark and striking poetry and short stories, Lawson’s raw depictions of life in the Australian bush strike a chord in the hearts of anyone who reads his work. Unlike his contemporary Banjo Paterson, whose romanticised portrayals of bush life have captured the hearts and imaginations of so many, Lawson strove to paint bush life with vivid reality, often capturing the loneliness and hopelessness surrounding it. In many ways, Lawson’s work seems to have depicted his own personal circumstances as he was given to alcoholism and increasingly suffered bouts of depression, especially towards the end of his life. This week we look at the life and times of this renowned Australian poet and some of the lessons we can learn from his life and work.