Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson was born 17 June 1867 at Grenfell, New South Wales. Lawson had a tough childhood; he helped his mother, Louisa Albury (1848-1920) run the family selection; his father (Peter Lawson) was frequently absent; Henry had only three years of formal education; he was shy; and partially deaf. Henry joined his mother in Sydney in 1883, working as a coach painter and helping her with her journal the Republican. Lawson's first poem, A song of the Republic was published in the Bulletin (1 October 1887). In 1891 he became a contributor to the Brisbane newspapers Boomerang and the Worker. Not long after he spent much time wandering which gave him material for his writings. In 1896 While the Billy Boils and In the Days When the World Was Wide were published by Angus and Robertson. In the same year he married Berthe Bredt and they travelled overseas. In 1901 Joe Wilson and his mates was published. After returning to Australia in 1902, Lawson lived apart from his family. His experienced artistic decline, alcoholism, time in goal, and was often without work. He died of a cerebral haemorrhage on 2 September1922.

Some of his pseudonyms or writing names include: Joe (Joseph) Swallow (in Boomerang); An Australian Exile; Tally (in Western Herald); The Exile (In Bulletin and others); The Ghost (in Bulletin); Henry Hertzberg Larsen (in Bulletin).