Daniel Fisher (politician)

Daniel Fisher (11 November 1812 – 2 June 1884) was a grain merchant and politician in the young colony of South Australia.

Daniel Fisher was born in of Wiltshire, and transported to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) aged 15, for what he was later to describe as "an unfortunate mistake" and "a boyish escapade, involving no moral offence" for which he was later exonerated and, on a petition from the Hon. J. Baker received a Royal Pardon. He and his wife Harriet Brown, (md. Hobart Town, Tasmania 6/11/1837) moved to South Australia aboard the Timbo, arriving at Port Adelaide in April 1846.

He set up in business as a cornfactor and seedsman (grain merchant) in Rundle Street. His brother Charles arrived in Adelaide in 1848, for a time working as a contractor then joined Charles as Charles as "Fisher Brothers", (not to be confused with the earlier hardware firm of the same name run by the unrelated James Hurtle Fisher). Charles left the partnership in October 1856 and set up in Grenfell Street on his own account. Daniel joined the gold rush to Victoria, but returned to Adelaide without having made a fortune. Other members of his family joined him in South Australia. He was convicted of assault after repeatedly charging his brother-in-law George P. Harris (co-founder of Harris Scarfe) on horseback and making threatening gestures.

He was prominent in the defence of John Stephens (editor) He served on the Adelaide City Council from 1852 to 1855 and retired from business in 1856. He visited England in 1861, and in 1865 contested the election for seat of East Torrens in the South Australian House of Assembly but was unsuccessful. Two years later one of the successful candidates, Neville Blyth, resigned on a point of honour, and Fisher won the resulting by-election and served from July 1867 to May 1870. His colleagues were Randolph Isham Stow, who resigned in May 1868 then George Pearce. He made later runs for the Mayoralty of the Town of Kensington and Norwood and for the Assembly seat of East Torrens, but was unsuccessful.

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