Joseph Fisher (Australian politician)

He left for Adelaide with his parents in the Prestonjee Bonanjee and arrived on 4 October 1838. His father, Joshua Fisher (died 1841), opened a grocery store at the corner of Hindley and Morphett Streets. Joseph was educated at the Oddfellows School where James Wardlaw Disher (1819 – 1901) was Classics master. (Disher and his brother-in-law Sir William Milne were later to take over the wine shop of Patrick Auld.^[2])

In 1840 he started work as a clerk in the Tavistock Street office of the merchant Anthony Forster,^[3] who, on the death of Fisher's father in 1841 became his guardian.^[4]

In 1848 Forster bought a half share of John Stephens' (died November 1850) newspapers The South Australian Register and The Observer, and gave Fisher a job in the newspaper's office. In those days every employee was involved in other aspects of getting the newspaper out. For Fisher that meant working the press, folding and bundling the papers as well as keeping the books. After three months Forster took no part in the day-to-day business of the paper.^[3] In May 1853 (after a year in the goldfields) Fisher became part-owner and business manager.^[4]

The Register was, under Stephens, a crusading paper, with a campaign against some injustice almost every week. This won respect for the paper, but cost it advertisers.^[5]

On 30 September 1865 Fisher sold his share of the business to John Howard Clark.^[1]

Fisher then concentrated on his activity as Adelaide agent of several businesses, notably that of John Ridley.^[1]

Fisher was director of the Bank of Adelaide for around 20 years, a director of the South Australian Gas Company and a director of the South Australian Company.^[1]

Fisher was part-owner of the clipper Hesperus and had shares in two large sheep stations.^[4]

Fisher was chairman of the Port Adelaide Dry Dock Company.^[6] and a director of Adelaide Marine and Fire Assurance.^[7]

Fisher was a director of The Mortgage Company of S. A. Ltd.^[8] which went into receivership in 1905.^[9]

For nearly 25 years Fisher was vice-president of the South Australian Cricketing Association and trustee of the Sturt Cricket Club^[6]

Fisher was known as a philanthropist, donating large sums to charitable and cultural organizations.^[6] This included £500 for the National Art Gallery and £1000 to the University of Adelaide, though these may have partly motivated by a need to avoid inheritance tax.^[4]