Victorian author and poet George Hall is writing a book about the life and times of Henry Lawson, and stopped in at Orange on his way through the Central West as part of his research tour.

The book, aptly titled In the Footsteps of Henry Lawson, is a culmination of Mr Hall’s life-long passion for the illustrious poet, with more than 30 years of research behind it.

“It’s taken me halfway around the world,” Mr Hall said.

“I went to the Palace of Westminster in London. Did you know there is a statue of Henry Lawson outside Westminster?”

Research journeys closer to home have taken Mr Hall from Lawson’s birthplace of Grenfell to Broken Hill, Bourke, Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Tumut, Gundagai, and throughout the Central West like Lucknow, Bathurst, Lithgow, Oberon, Gulgong and Mudgee, and the author has dug up nuggets of information and stories of Lawson’s adventures.

One of the most surprising things Mr Hall said he uncovered during his research about Lawson was the man’s criminal history.

“He had a big problem with booze. He often had to be locked up in the debtors prison because he’d lose his money,” Mr Hall said.

“J F Archibald, the founder of the Archibald Prize, J F Archibald had to bail him out a couple of times. He was the one to put him on the track again.”

In the Footsteps of Henry Lawson will be released in December.

alexandra.king@fairfaxmedia.com.au