Next time you drive down Henry Lawson Drive on your way to Bunnamagoo, you’ll pass the Henry Lawson Memorial on your right. It’s worth a stop to see what remains of the childhood home of one of Australia’s best known poets – but it’s just as significant as having been the home of Henry’s equally interesting mother, Louisa, an early campaigner for womens’ rights.
Henry’s parents Peter and Louisa Lawson moved to Eurunderee in 1869 when he was just 6 months old. Like many families, they built a succession of homes on their property, starting with a tent, then expanding to larger and more solid homes as the family grew and finances allowed. The remains you see today were of the last home built by the Lawsons in the mid 1870s, which featured sawn timber walls, an iron roof, and the brick chimney which still stands today. Family life at the Lawson’s was unfortunately not harmonious, and by 1884 Louisa had moved to Sydney with her youngest children. Henry stayed with his father, but they began moving from place to place in order to find work, and after being a Mudgee area resident for about 16 years, he moved away for good, although the area featured prominently in a number of his poems and short stories.
By the 1940s, the cottage was starting to fall apart, and efforts began to try to save this important piece of heritage. Unfortunately, before agreement could be reached on what to do, the cottage collapsed in 1946, leaving only the chimney. The remains were stabilized and the current memorial was unveiled in 1949.
