George Fisher (New Zealand)

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George Fisher (1843 – 14 March 1905) was a four time Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand from 1882 to 1885, and in 1896. He had been a Wellington City Councillor from 1877 to 1881. He was nicknamed ‘Tarcoola George’.

He was a Liberal Member of Parliament: for the Wellington South electorate 1884 to 1887, then the Wellington East electorate 1887 to 1890.

He then represented the City of Wellington electorate from 1890 to 1893 when he was defeated, and from 1896 to 1905 when he died. He was Minister of Education in Prime Minister Harry Atkinson's ministry from 1887 to 1889.

He was born in Dublin on December 25 1843, the son of James Fisher, the Government printer in Dublin, and apprenticed as a compositor in London before moving with his family to Melbourne in 1857, where his father became a co-proprieter of [[The Age]] newspaper. George arrived in New Zealnd in 1863 and worked firstly as a printer then as a Journalist (Hansard). He married Laura Emma Tompkins in Christchurch in 1866 and they had four sons and two daughters.

His son Francis Marion Bates Fisher (1877-1960) was also a Member of Parliament, serving Wellington between 1905 and 1915 and was Minister of Trade and Customs under Prime Minister William Massey. As a top New Zealand's tennis player, both at home and abroad, FMB Fisher reached the final of the Australian Open in 1906 - one of only three New Zealanders to play in the final of a 'Grand Slam' event. FMB Fisher's eldest daughter, Esther Fisher (1900-1999) became a international pianist.

A brother of George's, David Patrick Fisher(1850-1912), also a printer by trade and a resident in Wellington 1872-1906, was a leading New Zealand union founder and organiser.

[edit] Further reading

• Maxim, Paul (2007), Printers, politicians and piston rings: a biography of the Fisher family, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Paul Maxim, ISBN 9780473121655  email:

[edit] Works of George Fisher

• Fisher, George (1893), Mr. George Fisher and the Atkinson Ministry: debate in the House of Representatives / speech delivered by G. Fisher., Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer 
• Fisher, George (1897), Address in reply: speech delivered by Mr. G. Fisher in the House of Representatives, on the 29h September, 1897, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer 
• Fisher, George (1897), Wellington City Empowering Bill: speech delivered by Mr. Fisher, M.H.R. in the House of Representatives, 4th November, 1897, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer 
• Fisher, George (1900), The Libel Bill: a defence of the rights of the people ; together with a synopsis of Mr. G. Fisher’s new Libel Bill: two speeches delivered by Mr. Fisher, on 26th July and 2nd August, 1900, in the House of Representatives, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer 

[edit] Works about George Fisher

• Maxim, Paul (2007), Printers, politicians and piston rings: a biography of the Fisher family: including James, George, David Patrick, FMB, David Percival and Esther Fisher, Wellington, [N.Z.]: P. Maxim, ISBN 9780473121655 
• Norgrove, W. (c.1889), The stand-or-fall platform of the great political mountebank : written by his distinguished admirer for his next performance at the Opera House, due notice of which will be given: to conclude with a ludicrous exposure of the Moss episode: an entire change of programme! with a magnificent transformation scene during which the candidate will re-appear on the political stage as a liberal reformer of the most advanced and chaste type, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Haggett & Percy, Printers 
• Perry, Stuart (1969), No Mean City, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Wellington City Council 
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985), New Zealand Parliamentary Record 1840-1984 (4th ed.), Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer