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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ005121S
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00:24 This is Grenfell, a small gold rush town out west
00:29 about 370 kilometers west of Sydney and once it really was 00:37 the Wild West. 00:38 Before the railway arrived, this region was a haven for 00:42 bush rangers or highwaymen. In fact, the town is actually 00:47 named after a man who was shot and killed by a bush 00:51 rangers on the road near here. Bush rangers were bandits 00:56 or outlaws of the Australian bush or outback. 00:59 Most of them were escaped convicts who used the bush 01:02 as a refuge to hide from the police. 01:04 They harassed the settlers and miners and aborigines 01:09 of the frontier in the 1800's. These highwaymen or outlaws 01:14 followed the usual pattern of robbery, pillage, and murder. 01:18 They specialized in robbing or bailing up stagecoaches, 01:23 banks, and small settlements. Bush ranging thrived here 01:28 during the gold rush years of the 1850's and 1860s. 01:32 The area was a refuge for bush rangers whose names 01:36 and exploits are a rich part of the town's history. 01:40 But that's not what Grenfell is best known for today. 01:44 Every year over the queen's birthday weekend in June 01:48 Grenfell comes alive in a celebration of art and artists. 01:53 The cause of this celebration is a festival actively named 01:57 the Henry Lawson Festival which commemorates the life of the 02:02 town's most famous son. It's been held annually 02:06 for over 60 years and gives an indication of the popularity 02:11 and esteem that Lawson has held in this town. 02:14 Henry Lawson, one of Australia's most celebrated poets and 02:19 short story writers was born in Grenfell and is honored 02:23 with a statue on the Ackley named Main Street. 02:26 He sits weary but relaxed poised with pen in hand 02:31 ready to write on his notepad. Further up Main Street 02:36 there is a bronze bust of Lawson with the reference to his 02:40 Grenfell birthplace from one of his celebrated poems said 02:44 Grenfell to my spirit. 02:57 Grenfell was founded by Cornelius O'Brien a shepherd 03:02 who had found gold in the area. Within weeks of his discovery 03:06 miners flocked to the site and began setting up their tents 03:10 and bark huts along the banks of Emu Creek. 03:13 Before long, businesses began to spring up among these scattering 03:18 of rough dwellings servicing the growing population of miners 03:22 that continued to grow into the newly founded Out Post 03:26 The town was first called Emu Creek but its name was later 03:32 changed to Grenfell in January of 1867. 03:35 The name change was in honor of the gold commissioner in the area 03:40 John Granville Grenfell. Commissioner Grenfell 03:45 was traveling in the area by stagecoach in December 1866 03:50 when his coach was ambushed by bushrangers. 03:54 The robbers called for the coach to halt, but the driver 03:58 refused to comply and the bushrangers opened fire on 04:02 the conveyance, Grenfell was shot twice and died 04:06 of his wounds about 24 hours later. 04:09 As a mark of respect, the mining colony along the banks of 04:14 Emu Creek was re-named Grenfell and went on to become one of 04:19 the richest mining outposts in New South Wales in the late 04:24 1860's. In fact over 20 tons of gold came from this area 04:30 and it was around this time most likely in 1866 with the 04:35 first rush of miners who came into the area that Henry Lawson's 04:40 father settled in Grenfell. Join us this week 04:44 as we take a closer look at the life and times of Henry Lawson, 04:48 one of Australia's most celebrated writers and poets 04:52 and discover the importance of hope in facing life's 04:56 challenges. 05:13 Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson was born on the 17th of June 05:18 1867 in a tent on the gold- fields of Grenfell. 05:23 A white oblique marked the tent site near where his parents 05:27 mined and where their first child Henry was born. 05:32 Lawson's father, Niels Lawson was born in Norway 05:36 and went to sea at the age of 21. He arrived in Melbourne 05:40 as a porter master in 1855, but he jumped ship 05:44 to seek his fortune. 05:46 He teamed up with a shipmate, his friend John Slee 05:49 who had sailed to Melbourne from Germany. 05:52 Larson who anglicized his name and changed it to Peter Lawson 05:57 and Slee first went to the goldfields of Ballarat 06:01 where they began to pan for gold in earnest. 06:04 Over the next decade Slee and Lawson hopped from one goldfield 06:09 to the next with little success. 06:11 Eventually, they made their way to New South Whales 06:15 where they mined in the gold fields of Lambing Flat and 06:19 New Pipe Clay now known as Eurunderee. 06:22 While mining in this area in 1866 06:25 Lawson married Louisa Albury who was one of 12 children 06:30 born into an impoverished mining family. 06:33 Henry Lawson was the oldest of four children 06:37 and was named after his maternal grandfather Henry Albury. 06:42 Lawson's father was often away from home mining 06:46 and his mother was left to care for him and his siblings 06:49 on her own. Life was difficult and particularly after Lawson's 06:55 mother Louisa suffered the loss of a child. 06:59 Louisa struggled to overcome her grief for her baby 07:03 daughter Tegan who died at just eight months old. 07:06 So, Louisa left the rest of the children in Henry's care 07:10 Henry came to resent the responsibility and it soon 07:14 created friction between him and his mother. 07:19 Henry's parents' marriage was an unhappy one 07:22 and eventually the couple became estranged. 07:25 When Lawson was 10, he attended school in Eurunderee 07:29 then known as Pipe Clay. It was around this time that 07:33 he fell ill and suffered a serious ear infection. 07:36 The infection was so severe that it left him partially deaf. 07:42 By the time he turned 14, he was completely deaf. 07:46 This proved to be an incredible challenge for young Lawson 07:49 and an impediment to completing his education. 07:53 Because of his hearing disability Lawson's education 07:58 was largely made up of reading, Lawson began to read Dickens 08:03 and a host of other authors. While studying at school 08:06 in Mudgee, Lawson's master taught him about poetry 08:11 which most likely provided the foundation for Lawson's 08:15 future literary career. 08:18 Lawson's father took up odd jobs and his mother moved to 08:23 Sydney where she began to operate and manage 08:25 boarding houses in an attempt to make a living. 08:28 At first, Lawson worked with his father on building jobs 08:32 in the Blue Mountains before later moving to Sydney 08:36 at his mother's request. 08:37 While living with his mother in Sydney in the early 1880's 08:42 Lawson worked during the day and studied at night. 08:46 hoping to pass his university entrance exams 08:49 so that he could pursue higher education. 08:51 Unfortunately, he failed these exams and couldn't gain 08:56 entrance into university. 08:58 Despite the setback Lawson took up writing, 09:02 his mother Louisa proved to have a significant influence 09:07 over his early literary career. 09:09 Louisa Lawson used the money she has saved while running 09:14 her boarding houses to buy shares in a pro-federation 09:18 newspaper called The Republican. During this time she enlisted 09:24 Henry's help to edit the newspaper which they printed 09:28 on an old press they set up in Louisa's cottage. 09:31 The paper called for an Australian Republic 09:35 a daring and radical idea at the time. Also around this time 09:40 Henry Lawson wrote his first poem, a song of the Republic 09:45 which was published in the bulletin in October 1887. 09:49 While writing poetry, Lawson was also helping his mother 09:53 publish the Republican. 09:55 Later on in 1888 Louisa Lawson launched her own periodical 10:01 which she edited and published. Her journal The Dawn was 10:06 the first Australian Journal produced solely by women 10:09 and was circulated in Australia and overseas. 10:13 Henry Lawson contributed poems and stories for the paper 10:17 as well. Then in 1894, The Dawn press printed Lawson's 10:23 first book, Short Stories and Pro's in verse. 10:27 In many ways in spite their tenuous relationship 10:32 with each other, Henry and Louisa Lawson partnered 10:35 with each other in their writing and publishing endeavors 10:39 and Louisa was thought to have greatly influenced her sons 10:43 early work. 10:44 Despite his obvious talents, Lawson struggled to find regular 10:50 work and was often penniless. He has a string of jobs 10:54 throughout the 1890's which paid very little 10:57 He tried working at several newspapers but that was 11:00 unsuccessful and so he went back to the country to find work. 11:05 At Toorale Station near Bourke, he worked as a rouseabout 11:09 doing odd jobs. During this time he experienced firsthand 11:15 the harsh and unforgiving conditions that many of the 11:19 squatters and drovers faced during the terrible drought 11:23 that was plaguing New South Wales. 11:25 All these experiences inspired Lawson to produce countless 11:30 poems and short stories detailing the reality 11:34 of what he had seen in the bush. 11:36 Unlike Banjo Paterson, Lawson's perspective of the Australian 11:41 bush was harsh and stark and unforgiving. 11:45 Australia's two favorite poets and writers, Henry Lawson 11:50 and Banjo Paterson. By coincidence lived parallel 11:54 lives, they were born two years apart and just over 100 km 11:59 apart. Both ended up working as writers for The Bulletin 12:03 in Sydney. But they provided contrasting opinions of life 12:07 in the Australian bush. 12:09 Banjo Paterson romanticized life in the bush and pictured 12:14 an idyllic and idealized view of life in the bush, 12:18 Lawson in contrast wrote about the cruel and unforgiving 12:23 nature of the Australian bush and the appalling conditions 12:27 that many inhabitants of the bush faced. 12:31 In 1896 Lawson published his most successful collection 12:36 of Pro's, While the Billy Boils. It was in many ways a direct 12:41 assault on writers like Banjo Paterson and others. 12:45 At once shattering their idyllic perspective of life in the 12:49 Australian bush and replacing it with a grim and stark reality. 12:55 Lawson's renowned short story that drove his wife 13:01 tells the story of a woman stuck in the middle of nowhere 13:04 with four small children while her husband was out droving 13:08 to make a living. Her closest neighbors were 19 km away 13:14 and lived in a small shack by the side of the road. 13:16 She herself lived in a small run-down shack 13:20 with nothing but a ferocious dog and a stout stick 13:24 to protect her from the dangers that lurked around her. 13:27 And interestingly despite the fact that she was in the middle 13:31 nowhere, the dangers around her abounded. 13:35 There was a threat of wandering drovers and bush men, snakes, 13:39 and the wild animals and the most menacing of all disease. 13:44 In each instance, she found herself alone having to face 13:49 down each threat with nothing more than her wits 13:53 and her angry dog. She had not seen her husband in over 13:57 six months and had no way of contacting him and she lost 14:01 one of her children while he was away. 14:03 It was a sad difficult story to read, and it leaves a reader 14:08 with a sense of bleakness and hopelessness 14:11 which is perhaps an echo of what Lawson himself felt 14:15 when he looked at life. 14:17 Though a fictitious rendering of life in the bush, 14:20 the drover's wife is remarkably similar to the true story of Joseph 14:26 and Julia Steed, the only significant difference between 14:30 the two stories is Joseph and Julia Steed's faith. 14:34 The Steeds decided to move their family from Adelaide 14:39 into the Australian bush. Joseph Steed decided to sell Christian 14:43 books and after purchasing a bicycle, he began cycling 14:48 from place to place peddling his wares. 14:51 At first, the Steed's lived in Broken Hill, New South Wales 14:56 for a period of two years. During this time, 14:59 much like the drover's wife Julia Steed was living alone 15:04 in a tent with three small children in the middle 15:07 of nowhere and with no neighbors for miles around 15:10 Julia even had a fourth child while she was living in the tent. 15:15 The environment they were living in was stark and bleak 15:19 but the Steed story was not tinged with hopelessness 15:24 even though their circumstances were difficult Joseph and Julia 15:29 Steed's story is filled with hope because their time 15:33 in the bush was spent bringing hope to others. 15:37 The Bible and the Good News of Jesus had changed their lives 15:41 and they in turn wanted to share that blessing. 15:45 It was her sense of mission and purpose that gave Julia Steed 15:51 the courage to endure her husbands long absence 15:54 and the harsh unforgiving environment of the Australian 15:58 bush. During their stay in Scott's Creek, the Steed's 16:03 made friends with another family who had not lived too far 16:06 from their tent. Julia Steed and Anne Scraig became friends 16:11 and often spent time together whenever they could 16:14 then one day tragedy struck Anne's Scrag's young son Walter 16:20 became very ill. There was no doctor or nurse nearby 16:24 and the nearest main road was five Kilometers away. 16:28 Julia Steed gathered young alter in her arms and 16:33 carried him the five kilometers to the main road, 16:36 she prayed all the way there because she knew that 16:40 getting to the main road was no guarantee that they would 16:44 get help. Once Julia reached the main road, 16:47 she cradled the sick young boy in her arms and sat by the 16:51 side of the road praying for God to provide help. 16:55 Before long, a man came past in a horse-drawn cart 16:59 and gave Julia and Walter a ride to the nearest train station. 17:04 Julia managed to catch the weekly train into Adelaide 17:08 where she was able to get Walter the medical attention 17:11 he needed and saved little Walter Scrag's life. 17:15 The similarities between Henry Lawson's perspective of 17:20 the Australian bush and Julia Steed's experience are striking. 17:24 Much like Lawson depicted, life in the bush was hard 17:29 it was filled with unforeseen dangers and loneliness. 17:32 It was a harsh life but unlike the tragic sense of hopelessness 17:38 that permeates Lawson's work The True Story of Julia Steed 17:43 is filled with a sense of purpose and hope. 17:46 While the driver's wife spent countless mind-numbing hours 17:51 alone and adrift, women like Julia Steed who lived and 17:56 experienced the terrible realities of life in the Australian 17:59 bush were filled with a sense of courage and purpose. 18:03 The hope and purpose she found was a result of her relationship 18:08 with Jesus, it was her commitment to God that 18:11 led her to the bush in the first place and it was her 18:15 commitment to God that gave her courage and fortitude 18:18 to face its challenges. 18:21 While Lawson's depictions of the Australian bush 18:24 ring true they are missing a vital element. 18:28 Hope, and this element is something that knowing and 18:33 serving Jesus can provide. The Bible can give us hope 18:38 even in the bleakest situation. 18:41 The story of the drover's wife and Julia Steed bring to mind 18:46 a story found in the Bible it too is a story of a woman 18:50 in desperate circumstances nearly despairing of any hope 18:55 but it is also a story of how God is able to bring her 18:59 even in the most depressing circumstances. 19:03 The story is found in the book of I Kings chapter 17. 19:08 Israel and its immediate surroundings 19:12 have been ravaged by drought for a prolonged period of time 19:16 and in the little town of Zarephath a poor widow was 19:21 struggling to put food on the table, she had one son 19:25 and the two of them were preparing for their last meal 19:29 when Elijah, the prophet of God came to their home. 19:33 God Himself had sent Elijah to the widow and he arrived 19:37 at the widow's home just as she was gathering sticks for 19:41 a fire. Elijah asked her for some food and she told him 19:46 that she had nothing left but a little bit of flour and oil 19:49 that she was hoping to use to cook her son and herself 19:53 a final meal before they too gave way to the horrors of 19:57 the famine that was raging around them. 20:00 After hearing a sad story Elijah made a strange request of her. 20:07 He told her to go in and make a little loaf of bread for him 20:11 first and then he promised her God would make sure her flour 20:16 and oil would not run out for the duration of the famine. 20:20 Choosing to take a leap of faith the woman listened to Elijah 20:25 and made him a loaf of bread first and then she made one 20:28 for her son and for herself. 20:30 What followed was nothing short of a miracle. 20:35 Each morning the widow woke up to find just enough flour 20:39 and oil to make a loaf of bread for everyone in the house 20:43 until the famine ended. 20:45 The story of the widow is similar to the previous 20:49 two stories we've looked at a struggling woman facing 20:54 harsh realities of life with little hope for the future. 20:57 But once again, the difference between the widow and 21:02 the drover's wife is that the widow found hope in God's word. 21:07 As a result of Elijah's message from God, the widow was given 21:12 the opportunity to provide for herself and her son 21:16 during her time of need. 21:18 This is often how God works, when we are facing dire 21:23 circumstances He provides us with hope through His word. 21:27 Now this hope may not always come in the form of material 21:32 comfort, but it always provides us with exactly what we need 21:37 when we need it so that we never need to feel closed in 21:42 by hopelessness and the challenges that surround us. 21:46 But another interesting point to take away from the story 21:50 of the widow of Zarephath is how the word of God 21:54 provided her with hope. 21:56 God challenged her to find hope by first extending hope 22:01 to others. Elijah was as destitute as the woman was 22:07 probably more so because while the woman had at least 22:12 a little flour and a little oil and a roof over her head 22:16 Elijah had nothing but the clothes on his back 22:19 But God challenged the woman to use the little that 22:23 she had to help someone who had even less than she did 22:28 and in serving someone else she herself found hope. 22:33 In the book Altruism and Health scientists from various 22:38 disciplines present a series of articles dealing with the 22:42 relationship between Altruistic or selfless behavior 22:47 and mental health. What much of this research shows 22:51 is that those who unselfishly invest in others 22:55 find that their lives are more meaningful and are usually 22:59 happier than their selfish counterparts. 23:02 Altruism or selflessness also produces a better state of 23:07 mental health as well. 23:09 The Bible focuses almost entirely on this concept. 23:13 Over and over again, the Bible contrasts selfishness and 23:19 unselfishness showing the effects of each mindset 23:23 has only individuals, communities and nations. 23:27 The mind and heart of Jesus were filled with the spirit of 23:31 selfless service in everything He did Jesus strove to serve 23:36 others. In Matthew in chapter 20 and verse 28, speaking of 23:41 Himself, Jesus says this: 23:50 Jesus' life was filled with little acts of selfless service 23:55 and in bringing hope to others. In Proverbs 11:25, the Bible says 24:09 The Bible also tells us that in order to find hope and 24:14 meaning in life, we must turn our focus outward to helping 24:18 others. We see this principle in the life of Joseph and Julia 24:23 Steed, they were willing to leave their comfortable home 24:27 and go into the Australian bush in order to help others find God 24:31 and the happiness and inner peace He brings. 24:35 And even though this meant their lives were filled with 24:38 a host of challenges and difficulties, it was this spirit 24:43 of selfless service that gave them the meaning and purpose 24:47 that they needed to face their challenges and overcome them. 24:50 Henry Lawson's work deals with one of the most fundamental 24:56 human needs, HOPE, his de- pictions of the harsh realities 25:01 of bush life give us a sense of hopelessness and in so doing 25:06 help us to understand how much we need hope. 25:11 The lives of Joseph and Julia Steed show us how hope can come 25:17 from a sense of purpose and how purpose can come from 25:21 committing our lives to serving a cause that is bigger than 25:25 ourselves similarly the story of Elijah and the widow of 25:30 Zarephath gives us a glimpse into how we too can overcome 25:35 difficult circumstances and find hope by reaching out 25:40 to share what little we have with those who have even less. 25:45 Right now our world is reeling with wave after wave of disaster 25:51 and strife, millions have lost their livelihoods and families 25:56 are pressed down and struggling to survive. 25:59 If ever there was a time when we have to come face to face 26:03 with the stark realities of life, it is now. 26:06 But the challenges we find ourselves facing are an 26:10 opportunity to reach out and be a blessing to those around us 26:15 during a time of unprecedented loneliness and hopelessness 26:19 we have the opportunity to reach out and share what little we have 26:25 with those who have even less. 26:28 If you would like to reach out to God and find meaning and 26:33 hope to face whatever uncertainties lie ahead 26:36 then I'd like to recommend the free gift we have for all our 26:40 Incredible Journey viewers today, it's the booklet 26:44 The Superpower of Words, this booklet is our gift to you 26:49 and it's absolutely free. I guarantee there are no costs 26:53 or obligations whatsoever. 26:55 So make the most of this wonderful opportunity 26:59 to receive the gift we have for you today. 27:02 Phone or text 0436.333.555 in Australia of 020.422.2042 27:12 in New Zealand or visit our website TiJ.tv or 27:17 simply scan the QR Code on your screen and we'll send you 27:21 today's free offer, totally free of charge and with no 27:24 obligation. Write to us at GPO Box 274 Sydney NSW 2001 27:31 Australia or PO Box 76673 Manukau Auckland 2241 27:38 New Zealand. Don't delay Call or text us now. 27:42 Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you that we have a God 27:48 who loves us and who cares for us. 27:50 Lord, we all face significant challenges in our lives today 27:55 at times these challenges seem about to overwhelm us and it's 28:00 so easy and natural to get depressed and despondent. 28:04 But may we always remember that you are with us 28:08 and that you will never leave us or forsake us 28:11 please give us peace and hope In Jesus' name, we pray... 28:16 Amen! |
Revised 2023-12-05