The first stop on this column's Banjo Paterson odyssey (Paterson Pilgrimage, April 30) was at a Yass park named in Banjo's honour, and now I'm about to pull up outside another park just a few streets away, named after his contemporary, Henry Lawson.

Unlike Banjo Paterson Park, which sports a grandiose entrance, lush lawns, mature trees buzzing with birdlife and a larger-than-life bust of Banjo taking centre stage, I soon discover that Henry Lawson Park isn't quite of the same ilk. It's sparsely vegetated, the grass is barely alive and apart from a modest sign, there is no further reference to Henry.

Although I'm sure the local council didn't intend it this way, the two parks epitomise the pair's differing view of the bush, a disparity which led to a very public stoush which played out in the pages of the then influential publication, The Bulletin, in the years 1892-1893.

In one corner was Banjo, spruiking the romantic idyll of brave horsemen and beautiful scenery, and in the other was Henry, who portrayed the hardships of living in the bush as challenging at best. Although it is believed the so-called 'Bulletin Debate' was a contrived plan to boost sales of the magazine it did reinforce the bush as a significant part of Australia's national identity.

I leave the park underwhelmed (although it would be a good spot to fly a kite), hop back into the yowie mobile and motor further along the Hume Highway to the village of Bowning. Here, nestled behind a row of maple trees in Leake St is the 1857 sandstock Mayfield House which harbours a close connection to a tumultuous time in Henry's life between 1899 and 1913.

"Oral and documented history of Bowning suggests that Henry's Aunt Phoebe who lived here at Mayfield House would send money to Henry so that he could catch the train from Sydney to Bowning to help him 'dry-out', to overcome his severe alcoholism," explain Cyril and Deb Cox who bought the historic home in 2013.

"During these regular visits to Bowning, Henry would write some of his poems before dispatching them to publishers on the train," says Cyril, who along with Deb has established a Mayfield Mews, a gift shop and café in the old coach house and stables which adjoins the house. The coffee must be good, for according to users of the www.whereismycoffee.com.au website, it's amongst the best in NSW.

As I sip on my latte (yes, it meets the lofty expectations), Cyril explains that Banjo, as highlighted in last week's column, "also lived and visited the Yass Valley during the early 1900s, would also sometimes dispatch some of his written works to Sydney by rail from the Bowning Railway Station".

"There's even stories of the two poets enjoying a drink or two together at the Commercial Hotel (now the Bowning Hotel)," reveals Cyril, adding that "it's unlikely however that Banjo stayed overnight at Mayfield House".

"Apparently Phoebe wouldn't let Banjo sleep in her house as he was a blue-blooded liberal and the Lawsons were staunch labor supporters," says Cyril with a chuckle.

The Coxs believe that Bowning's connection to two of Australia's greatest poets should be more widely promoted and as part of this campaign, the pair are developing an outdoor gallery at Mayfield Mews to display their increasing collection of Henry memorabilia.

Amongst their collection is a 1905 photo of a somewhat wobbly-looking Henry leaning on a post at the front of the row of shops, formerly home to the town's General Store, clear photographic evidence that Henry, one of our most lauded poets did visit here.

Following in Henry's footsteps, a little more stable on my legs, I pose in the same spot as Henry did more than a century ago, before continuing my journey another hour-and-a-half north-west to Henry's birthplace, Grenfell, home to a giant-sized 3D-artwork of the poet's head.

Unfortunately, on arrival in the central west town I'm disappointed to discover that 'Henry's Head' crafted from papier mâché by Grenfell resident Silvia Brind, is only wheeled out during the town's Henry Lawson festival, held on the June long weekend each year. Bummer, I'm a month early.

Thankfully, there are a number of other, more permanent tributes to Grenfell's favourite son scattered around town, including a bust of Henry where you can push a button and listen to some of his most famous works. Really!

There's also a life-size bronze statue of Henry, poised, pen in hand, with a blank notepad, sitting on a park bench. A vacant place exists either side of Henry which beckons me to take a seat.

Obligatory selfie taken, it's off to Grenfell's Albion Hotel for a drink. As I'm about to pay for my cleansing ale with a $10 note, a regular at the bar abruptly taps me on the shoulder.

"Hey mate, they aren't welcome around here," he gruffly mumbles, pointing disparagingly at the image of Banjo Paterson which prominently features on one side of the polymer note.

I'm somewhat taken aback, and the penny doesn't drop until the barfly pulls an original paper $10 note out of his wallet. It seems some folk out here are still miffed that Henry was replaced by Banjo when the polymer notes replaced the paper ones in 1993.

Not wishing to create a scene, I calmly swap the tenner with a $20 note and to avoid the possibility of 'a Banjo' appearing in my change, I ensure my change will be less than $10 by shouting my new-found friend a drink.

Sure Banjo might have the better park in Yass, but out Grenfell-way, it seems that Henry remains the poet of the people.

Who is your preferred poet? I'd love to know. A straw poll amongst my followers on social media put Banjo just ahead of Henry, but it was close. You can contact me at the address at the end of this column.

FACT FILE

Mayfield Mews: 4 Leake St, Bowning. Open 10am 4pm Wednesday to Sundays. Bowning is an easy one hour drive north of Canberra via the Barton and the Hume Highways. More: www.mayfieldmews.com.au Ph: 02 6227 6572.

Tim's Tip: For a Mothers' Day treat this weekend, take mum for a Sunday drive to Bowning. Apart from its knock-out courtyard café (check-out the coffee cups named after Henry and Banjo!), the gift shop at Mayfield Mews has an eclectic range of last minute gift ideas. Oh, and if mum is after classic country fare, the pub next door dishes up mouth-watering counter meals.

Did You Know: Henry Lawson died in 1922 in Abbotsford NSW, and was the first non-politician to be afforded a state funeral in NSW.

Plan ahead for: This year's Henry Lawson Festival at Grenfell is on the June long weekend. The main day of celebrations which feature a swag of entertainment for the whole family including a street parade, and market stalls is Saturday 11 June. Don't miss the 'performance poets' who will rove the main street. Grenfell is a further 2.5 hours' drive north-west of Canberra. For a full program of events: Ph: 02 6343 2855 or www.henrylawsonfestival.com.au. See you there.

CONTACT TIM: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick. You can see a selection of past columns at: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/by/Tim-the-Yowie-Man-hvf8o

WHERE IN CANBERRA?

Clue: I was recently 'touched up'.

Degree of difficulty: Medium

Last week: Congratulations to Rob King of Melba who was first to correctly identify last week's photo as part of the old exercise circuit around Belconnen's Mt Rogers. Unfortunately, the key part of the photo, an exercise marker featuring a stylised figure doing step-ups was cropped from the print version of this column, turning the level of difficulty from hard, to near impossible. However, the victorious King was still able to recognise the location with help from his wife Susan who immediately recognised the scene as "she walks past those rocks most mornings before work".

The photo was submitted by Megan Dawes of Fraser who reports that her husband "remembers walking his primary school classes on Mt Rogers in the mid-1970s so they could complete the exercise circuit which included ramps, climbing frames and balance beams". Dawes wonders "are other relics of this kind in other spots in Canberra?"

How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday May 6, 2016 with the correct answer wins a double pass to Dendy cinemas.