[1] Around 1864, he arrived in Adelaide, South Australia, and was employed by pastoralist George Fife Angas as his private secretary.

He was noticed by the editor of the South Australian Register, and offered a position with the paper,[2] which had a reputation for high-quality journalism.

Lawson accepted and spent three years with them, during which time his abilities were recognised, and when he announced he was leaving for Europe, hastened on account of his wife's precarious health, his farewells attested to his contribution to the paper and his personal popularity.

During his time in Adelaide he also supplied individual essays to The Argus, The Sydney Morning Herald and the Brisbane Courier, and a weekly letter to selected country newspapers.

While in Europe, he continued sending copy to The Register, and acted as that paper's correspondent covering the Franco-Prussian War, for which he had the advantage of a fluent knowledge of German.