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Lawson, Louisa (1848-1920)

Also known as
Albury, LouisaLarsen, LouisaLawson, Archie
Occupation
newspaper editor; newspaper owner; poet; short story writer; women's activist; women's suffragist
Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-635837

Biographies

Australian Women's Register

Louisa Lawson was an independent and resourceful woman who fought for women’s rights during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in Australia. Married at eighteen years of age to Niels (Peter) Larsen, later Lawson, she produced five children, one of whom died in infancy. Another child, Henry became one of Australia’s most famous writers. On her move to Sydney from country New South Wales in 1883 she supported her family by doing washing, sewing and taking in boarders. In 1887 she bought the Republican and with her son Henry edited and wrote most of the newspaper’s copy. In 1888 she established the Dawn, a journal devoted to women’s concerns and continued publication until 1905. In May 1889 Louisa launched the campaign for female suffrage and announced the formation of the Dawn Club where women met to discuss ‘every question of life, work and reform’ and to gain experience in public speaking. Louisa Lawson could claim success when women in New South Wales gained the suffrage in 1902.

Louisa Lawson was the second of twelve children of Henry Albury and his wife Harriet, nee Winn. She attended Mudgee National School and was asked to work as a pupil teacher but her parents required her to remain at home to assist with the care of her younger brothers and sisters. After her marriage to Norwegian born Niels Hertzberg Larsen ( Peter), she had five children between 1867 and 1877. Left alone to rear her children when her husband was away working, she earned a living in a variety of ways, such as sewing, selling dairy produce and fattening cattle. #xA; Her move to Sydney in 1883 signalled the end of her marriage and her launch into new ventures. She and her son Henry worked together on the Republican, which she bought in 1887. Through the pages of the Dawn she took up women’s causes in particular the fight for female suffrage in New South Wales. She encountered problems with the Typographical Union as she had employed female printers, but the union refused membership to females. It attempted to force her to dismiss her printers, which she refused to do.#xA; She advocated the enfranchisement of women believing that they would change evil laws and protect women and their children. On the formation of the Womanhood Suffrage League of New South Wales in 1891, Louisa Lawson was elected to its Council. Its meetings were held at the Dawn office. She was also a member of the Women’s Progressive Association and campaigned for women to be appointed to public office.

Louisa Lawson died at the Hospital for the Insane, Gladesville, on 12 August 1920.

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

LAWSON, LOUISA (1848-1920), newspaper proprietor, was born on 17 February 1848 on Edwin Rouse's station, Guntawang, near Mudgee, New South Wales, second of twelve children of Henry Albury, station-hand, and his wife Harriet, née Winn, needlewoman. Baptized an Anglican, Louisa was educated at Mudgee National School where J. W. Allpass proposed making her a pupil-teacher. Instead, she was kept home to help to care for her younger siblings and she resented the drudgery. On 7 July 1866 at the Wesleyan parsonage, Mudgee, Louisa married Norwegian-born Niels Hertzberg Larsen who called himself Peter. A handyman and gold digger, he was fluent in several European languages and teetotal. They joined the Weddin Mountain gold rush and later selected forty acres (16 ha) at Eurunderee. By the time of Henry's birth in 1867, they had anglicized the spelling of Larsen.

View the full record at Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Related people and organisations

Australian Women's Register

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

Resources

Selected resources (12)

Australian Women's Register

  1. Louisa Lawson: collected poems with selected critical commentaries
    Lawson, Louisa
    [1996]
    Published: University of New England, Centre for Australian Language and Literature Studies, Armidale, New South Wales
  2. The lonely crossing and other poems
    Lawson, Louisa
    [1905]
    Published: Dawn Office, Sydney
  3. 'Dert' and 'Do'
    Lawson, Louisa
    [189-]
    Published: Dawn Newspaper Office, Sydney
  4. The Dawn : a journal for Australian women
    Lawson, Louisa
    [1888-1905]
  5. Louisa Lawson, Henry Lawson's crusading mother
    Ollif, Lorna
    [1978]
    Published: Rigby, Adelaide
  6. Louisa
    Matthews, Brian ( Brian Ernest)
    [1988]
    Published: McPhee Gribble/Penguin, Fitzroy, Vic.
  7. The Complete Book of Great Australian Women: Thirty-six women who changed the course of Australia
    De Vries, Susanna
    [2003]
    Published: HarperCollins, Sydney
  8. Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
    Australian National University
    [2006]
  9. 200 Australian Women: A Redress Anthology
    Radi, Heather
    [1988]
    Published: Women's Redress Press, Sydney
  10. Lawson, Louisa (1848-1921)
    Radi, Heather
    [2006]
    Published: Australian National University
  11. [Biographical cuttings on Louisa Lawson, writer]
    National Library of Australia
    BIOG
  12. The Louisa Lawson papers
    Mitchell Library
    A1630

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online

  1. 'Lawson, Louisa (1848 - 1920)' - Australian Dictionary of Biography
    Heather Radi
    [1986]
    Published: Melbourne University Press
    Series: Volume 10
    pp 23-25.

Resources About Louisa Lawson (30)

  1. The First voice of Australian feminism : excerpts from Louisa Lawson's 'The Dawn' 1888-1895 / edited by Olive Lawson
    Lawson, Louisa, 1848-1920
    [Book : 1989-1990]
  2. Louisa Lawson : collected poems with selected critical commentaries / edited by Leonie Rutherford & Megan Roughley with Nigel Spence
    Lawson, Louisa, 1848-1920
    [Book : 1996]
  3. Louisa / Brian Matthews
    Matthews, Brian (Brian Ernest)
    [Book, Audio book : 1987-1998]
  4. [Scrapbooks] Louisa Lawson
    Lawson, Louisa, 1848-1920
    [Book : 1991]
  5. Papers Louisa Lawson
    Lawson, Louisa, 1848-1920
    [Book : 1991]
  6. Louisa Lawson, Henry Lawson's crusading mother / Lorna Ollif
    Ollif, Lorna
    [Book : 1978]
  7. Henry Lawson : his books, manuscripts, autograph letters and association copies, together with publications by Louisa Lawson / collected and annotated by Harry F. Chaplin
    Chaplin, Harry F.
    [Book : 1974]
  8. The shameless scribbler : Louisa Lawson / Sharyn Pearce
    Pearce, Sharyn
    [Article : 1992]
  9. [Biographical cuttings on Louisa Lawson, writer]
    [Published : 1900-1990]
  10. The first voice of Australian feminism
    Lawson, Louisa, 1848-1920
    [Audio book : 1993]

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Australian Newspapers (1803-1954)

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  1. Website: Australian Women's Archives Project
    www.womenaustralia.info
    Matching pages:
    View 33 matching archived pages
  2. Website: National Library of Australia staff papers
    www.nla.gov.au
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  3. Website: National Conference (Curriculum Corporation (Australia))
    www.curriculum.edu.au
    Matching pages:
    • Biographies--Louisa Lawson - 23/5/2002
    • ... Yunupingu Louisa Lawson (1848–1920) Louisa Lawson was born near Mudgee in New South Wales. She was...
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  1. Louisa / Brian Matthews
    Matthews, Brian (Brian Ernest)
    [Book, Audio book : 1987-1998]
  2. Louisa [Lawson]
    [Video : 1978]
  3. The first voice of Australian feminism
    Lawson, Louisa, 1848-1920
    [Audio book : 1993]
  1. Lawson, Henry. 1867-1922
    author; poet; political activist; journalist; novelist; short story writer
    ... Lawson, Henry. 1867-1922 ... Lawson, Louisa (1848 - 1920) ...
  2. Todd, Ellen Joy. 1860-1948
    journalist; magazine/journal editor
    ... Lawson, Louisa (1848 - 1920) ...
  3. Scott, Rose. 1847-1925
    feminist; law reformer; women's activist; women's suffragist
    ... Lawson, Louisa (1848 - 1920) ...