British soldier, explorer, and politician who pioneered the first successful crossing of the Blue Mountains by British colonists in 1813 after migrating to Sydney, New South Wales, in 1800. The town of Lawson in the Blue Mountains was named after him, and he made the first discovery of coal west of the mountains. He was elected to be a member of the first Legislative Council of New South Wales in 1843. He trained as a surveyor and was educated in London. He joined the British Army in 1799.
