Lawson’s health and state of mind continued to decline through the last decades of his life. Though he continued to write, and published several collections of poetry and prose, he never regained his previous creative spark. His public drunkenness and failure to pay child support led to repeated incarcerations in Darlinghurst Gaol, and he also spent time in Darlinghurst Mental Hospital. Deeply depressed and perpetually poor, Lawson quickly reverted to his old ways on his release from hospital or gaol, petitioning steadfast friends like George Robertson and JF Archibald for financial aid.

In 1920 Lawson was granted a lifetime pension of £1 per week from the Commonwealth Literary Fund. He suffered a brain haemorrhage in 1921, which ultimately led to his death on 2 September 1922, at the age of 55. His death generated widespread mourning on a scale usually reserved for national leaders and he was accorded a state funeral on 4 September, the first non official to be honoured in this way.

Henry Lawson was a celebrated figure during his lifetime and his work continues to be read widely and taught in schools. However, for readers today, Lawson’s work needs to be interpreted in the light of the mental illness and domestic violence that so greatly affected his life and work.