Saturday, September 6th 2025 at 2 pm
At Footscray Historical Society
Corner Hyde St and Napier St, Footscray
‘A Face in the Street’
This HLMLS Event will feature a talk about Henry Lawson and his life by the Vice President of HLMLS Leigh Hay, with stirring recitals by Committee member Mick Coventry.
If the weather is fine, we will walk to Footscray Park along Moore St to view the Henry Lawson bust which has been in the Park since 1960.
Why Footscray?
The first Society in Australia to commemorate Henry Lawson’s life and works had its beginnings in Footscray in 1923, just a year after Henry died.
- Mr Steve Ford (1868-1946) lived at 63 Windsor St Footscray, just south of the railway line, and was a great fan of Henry Lawson’s works. He had the idea to commemorate Henry Lawson by an annual gathering in Footscray Hill Park.
- Charles Fawcett (1885-1960) was HLMLS President in February 1960 when the bust of Henry Lawson, was unveiled. He invited the HLMLS members back to his home nearby in Nicholson Street to celebrate.
- A prominent HLMLS member for many years was Gwen Goedecke (1922 – 2016) who lived at 95 Paisley St Footscray. She held an HLMLS celebration 100 years after Henry’s birthday (17 June 1867) at her ‘little white house with its stone fence and neat garden’.
- Harry Hastings Pearce lived at 239 Nicholson St Footscray and was another great supporter, editing the HLMLS magazine ‘The Lawsonian’, which is still being published today.
This photograph shows Mrs Ethel Fielding reciting a poem at the annual Henry Lawson Event in 1930 in Footscray Park (photograph of the Maribyrnong Library Service).
Henry Lawson Memorial and Literary Society (HLMLS)
The Henry Lawson Memorial and Literary Society has members from all over Australia and beyond, and meets each month for recitals, in the city in Melbourne and on Zoom.
We always welcome new members and provide them with our quarterly magazine featuring poetry and stories about Henry Lawson and other Australian poets.
Contact us: info@henrylawsonsociety.org
Or
HLMLS
PO Box 110 Greensborough Victoria 3088
