John Fisher the youngest child of Edward and Elizabeth Fisher born in Sydney 27th October 1804, whilst his family was in transit by ship between the Norfolk Island Settlement and Van Diemans Land. (See Edward Fisher's story for an explanation of the Sydney birth)
John had a number of sons and daughters, but his eldest son Edward Michael is better remembered in Tasmania, because he was a most important man. He was twice married, firstly to Margaret McLean third daughter of Mr R.M. McLean of the Ordnance Dept., a ceremony conducted at St Georges Church by the Rev. Dr Fay on November 11, 1856, and secondly to Emily Jane, for whom he built ‘Talune’ in Davey Street. The name was taken from the flagship of the TSN Fleet ‘Talune’. She died there on October 20, 1929, and I can remember visiting her several years previously. EM Fisher had himself died there on September 7, 1902 in his 70th year, and was buried in the Queenborough Cemetery. According to an obituary in the Tasmanian Mail of September 13, he was educated at the Hutchins School and in 1851 entered a merchants office. In 1860 he embarked in business on his own account as a ship owner and saw miller, the mills being situated on Bruni Island, and his office on the new wharf. He was for many years connected with the Marine Board, and held the chair of Master Warden.
From all this he retired in 1885 and took over the management of the Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company Limited, which position he held until June 1, 1891, when the company, greatly through his efforts, was taken over by the Union Steamship Co.of NZ Limited, and he became Tasmanian Manager of that company. The old T.S.N. Company which had operated since 1852 was now no more, and I found much interest one day in turning up the newspapers of the time at the Public Library in Sydney, which recorded the passing.
While still talking about E M, it may as well be recorded that he was a Director of many companies including the Commercial Bank of Tasmania, Tasmanian Loan and Finance Company Limited and Roberts & Co. Ltd.
The latter company recently had its centenary and a most interesting booklet was issued, of which I received a copy. It had photographs of the Directors, and there was old E M in a flowing beard. He was also President of the Hobart Bowling Club in 1898 and 1899, and a Commissioner of the Tasmanian Exhibition of 1895.
After the death of his mother at “Wellington Grange” on May 22nd, 1897, he took a leading part in the establishment of St. Johns Hospital, which took over the old stone mansion. The hospital was formerly opened on September 27th 1899, and it has been added to very considerably as I was to see on my recent visit to Hobart.
At the time the old home stood on 4 ½ acres of ground, and approach was made by an avenue leading to the house from Cascade Road. There is no avenue now, it is all a car park.
It was a solid stone house with a slate roof, and the rooms were large and lofty. The entrance faced East on which side there were four big windows, while eight big windows faced the North. Looking west is Mt. Wellington, which is so close, that it literally towers over the building. So much for the old family home which your great great grandfather had apparently built when he married Charlotte Herbert in 1832; or this year can be assumed, as the elder son E M who we have been recording so much about, was born in 1833.
There were in all five sons and two daughters of the marriage. The sons were Edward Michael (1833) Frederick (1835) Alfred George (1839) Albert Lewis (1846;) and Charles Victor (1848). All these boys attended Hutchins School as also did their sons Edward, William, Rupert and Frank.
The Hutchins School which it seems all the Fisher boys attended was commenced in 1848, and it was the first College of its kind in the colonies. Recently it has been moved from its old site to a new one on Sandy Bay Road overlooking the Derwent River. It may seem strange to find Hobart and Launceston with the two oldest colleges in Australia, just as it is to find very early houses of distinction and charm, also great station properties well stocked with sheep back as far as 1820, and 15 years before a settlement was even attempted at Melbourne. The answer is that up to the middle of the 19th century, Hobart Town was the main centre of commerce in Australia, and also the climate was so much more suitable ;to the English people who migrated here. It is only in the last century, that Sydney and Melbourne have taken the lead. Of course, there was plenty of convict and ex convict labour in Tasmania, as there was in New South Wales, but in the early days Sydney Town was a bit of a backwater, while the Derwent was anything but this.
As has been stated, when the lovely “Wellington Grange” was built is not known, but is was certainly John Fishers residence in 1856 when his eldest son was married. John Fisher died at the home on July 8th, 1884 in which case it was probably his residence for nearly half a century.
John Fishers Obituary in the Mercury of July 9th, 1884 mentions that he came to the colony with his parents in1808. He ‘always led a retired life, never associating himself with any political or public movement’.
Source : letter from R.G. Gregory dated 3rd November 1967