Lawson was popular bush poet, novelist, journalist and historian of Australia.

Will's parents moved from the UK to Australia and then New Zealand, where he worked as a clerk in an insurance office and began writing poems for The Bulletin. In 1912 he returned to Australia and worked for Sydney's Evening News, also writing for Smith's Weekly and The Bulletin.

He was associated with the Sydney Bohemian artistic scene, including Edward Dyson, Will Dyson and Percy Lindsay.