Louisa Lawson

Louisa Lawson was a newspaper owner, journalist, poet and feminist. She was a prominent figure in Sydney's suffragette movement as well as founding Australia's first magazine for women. Louisa Lawson was a great influence on the changes made in Australia at the turn on the 20th century.

Louisa Lawson was born near Mudgee in New South Wales. As the eldest daughter of nine surviving children, she was forced to leave school at thirteen, leaving her desire to become a pupil teacher. In 1866 Louisa married Niels Larsen (Peter Lawson) and moved to a bark hut on the goldfields with her husband. Her life there was hard and lonely. Her husband was often away, leaving Louisa alone to bring up their five small children on very little money. One of her children was the famous writer Henry Lawson. In 1883, she left her failing marriage and moved to Sydney with her children.

As she was a single mother Louisa spent the rest of her life working to help other women. She ran groups to improve the...