Henry Lawson (17 June 1867, Grenfell goldfields, New South Wales - 2 September 1922, Sydney) was an Australian writer and poet. His mother was Louisa Lawson 1848 - 1920, a prominent suffragist and owner/editor of The Dawn journal which was partly responsible for Australia becoming one of the first countries to attain adult female suffrage.

Henry suffered an ear infection at the age of seven that left him with partial deafness and by the age of fourteen he had lost his hearing entirely. Most of his works focuses on the Australian bush and is considered by some to be among the first accurate descriptions of Australian life as it was at the time.

During his later life, the alcohol-addicted writer was probably Australia's best-known celebrity. At the same time, he was also a frequent beggar on the streets of Sydney, notably at the Circular Quay ferry turnstiles. At his death he was given a state funeral, attended by the Prime Minister W. M. Hughes and Lawson's brother-in-law, Jack Lang, the Premier of the State of New South Wales, as well as thousands of citizens.

Major works

• St Peter (poem)
• A Child in the Dark, and a Foreign Father (story)
• In the days when the world was wide (collection of verses)
• Joe Wilson and His Mates (collection)
• On the Track (collection)
• Verses Popular and Humorous
• While the Billy Boils (collection, includes "The Drover's Wife")

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