 On his way back to Australia he was taken to a private hospital at Wellington, New Zealand, and died following diabetic complications after an operation for appendicitis on 15 June 1922.He was buried in Gore Hill cemetery, Sydney, leaving a widow, son, daughter and an adopted daughter.In just over 20 years of publishing Rowlandson issued around 5,000,000 copies of books by about 70 authors, illustrated by over 30 artists, and left a name for just dealing not surpassed by any other publisher.