Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Family and Early Years

Guy Fisher was born on the 5th November 1890 in Adelaide to Francis "Frank" Joseph and Ella Matilda Fisher (nee Sellar). His father Frank (1859 - 1930) was a well known Adelaide solicitor who was a founding partner of the legal firm Fisher, Power and Jeffries in 1885, a firm that still continues today as Fisher Jeffries and operates throughout Australia and internationally.

Guy's grandfather was the Hon. Joseph Fisher M.L.C. (1834-1907), accountant and parliamentarian (1868-70 represented Sturt in the House of Assembly and 1873-81 sat in the Legislative Council), proprietor and commercial manager of the Register and Observer (1853 - 1865), twenty-five years was vice-president of the South Australian Cricketing Association, directorships included the Bank of Adelaide, the Port Adelaide Dock Co., the South Australian Gas Co. as well as insurance, pastoral and mortgage firms and left £1000 to the University of Adelaide to provide for the Joseph Fisher medal and every alternate year a lecture in commerce.

Education and School Sport

Guy Fisher completed his Junior Examinations over two years 1904 - 1905 (3 subjects & 7 subjects) and his Senior Examinations in 1905 (5 subjects) at Queen's School North Adelaide. He participated in the school athletics coming second in the school cup 150 yards event in 1906 and was a regular member of the cricket team and produced good all-round performances in both 1905 and 1906. To complete his education the family sent him off to Geelong Grammar School where he spent a further 2 years before returning to Adelaide in 1909 and enrolling at Adelaide University to study law.

Adelaide University and Sport

With a strong family influence Guy Fisher was destined to study law and in 1909 he enrolled in the Law Faculty. Rather than choosing to complete the degree course full-time he chose the alternative pathway into the profession. This required the completion of four years of articles and completing prescribe courses part time at Adelaide University and passing examinations in these subjects. After two years of study, in 1911 he was articled to his father's firm, Fisher & Powers.

Guy was very active with sporting pursuits while at University as an active member of the cricket, tennis and athletics clubs.

Cricket

A handy all-rounder on the cricket field he played mainly B-Grade but filled in occasionally for the A-Grade.

He remained a keen follower of cricket for all his life. His Uncle, Harold Fisher was President of the South Australian Cricket Association from 1924 - 1929 and also a member of the Australia Cricket Board of Control.

Athletics

In athletics at University he competed mainly as a middle distance runner and finished third in the annual carnival at Adelaide Oval in 1909. In this event the lightly framed Fisher had lead all the way only to be overtaken at the remaining few yards. Fisher also involved himself with social activities and was secretary for the organisation of the Athletics Club Ball.

Tennis

It was however at tennis that he would shine and he developed a life-long passion for the game. He represented Adelaide University in the Inter-Varsity contests and contested the State Championships. In 1914 he was the State Mixed Doubles Champion.

War Service

Fisher enlisted on 19th August 1914 which was shortly after the outbreak of War on 28th July 1914. Amongst others who volunteers at the same time were a group of friends who had been together at Queen's School and the University of Adelaide. They were among the first South Australians to volunteer. His enlistment number was "33" and given the rank of Private.

The famous photograph below that includes Guy Fisher was featured in a seven page essay titled 'The Flowers of the Forest', which describes the experiences of 10 soldiers from No. 1 Section, No. 1 Platoon, A Co, 10th Battalion from South Australia who enlisted in 1914. It describes how seven of the 10 died, either at the landing at Anzac Cove on April 25, 1915, or subsequently as a result of their war experiences, and the post-war lives of the three survivors from the group. Includes a photograph of the group without Angus Smith, who is absent.

Private Guy Fisher embarked for overseas service in March 1915 and was wounded on landing at Gallipoli on the 27th April 1915. A few days later the seriousness of the wound required him to be evacuated to Cairo. After recovering, he rejoined his Unit and was promoted to Lance corporal, however after repeated
attacks of dysentery he was eventually in December 1916 invalided out to England. There he applied to join the Royal Garrison Artillery and was later discharged from the Australian Infantry Forces. In January 1916 received a commission as 2nd Lieutenant (Temporary). He was later promoted to Captain and served in Mesopotamia and India .

In April 1916 while Guy Fisher and many of his fellow Adelaide University law student were serving overseas, members of the legal profession in Adelaide were actively working to protect the rights of those undergraduate law clerks who had enlisted. C.H.Powers to whom Guy had been articled to was taking up the cause.

Landmark Order by Chief Justice Murray and Justice Gordon

Guy Fisher was one of many articled clerks completing their law studies at Adelaide university who had volunteered for service during the Great War. It was some consolation to these men that Mr Powers of Fisher & Powers to whom Guy was articled to made an application that he be exempted from a rule that prohibited law clerks from any other business other than his articles. He had already completed three years of articles and attended all lectures up until his time of enlistment. The Justices ruled that time "in the trenches" would be recognised as having served in the profession. This decision paved the way for all those who served to be given continuity of the time as articled clerks making their final pathway to admission to the Bar after the War deservedly more straightforward.

Life After the War

Returning to Australia in December 1919, Guy Fisher very soon married English born Alice Squires on the 12 Apr 1920 at St Mary Magdalene Church, Adelaide. He had met her in Cambridge during "May Week". She happened to be the grand-daughter of Sir Charles Todd (of Overland Telegraph fame) and was there assisting in the War effort.

Shortly after his wedding he was admitted to the Bar (20th April 1920) following the granting of his Final Certificate in Law.

In addition to his Law Practice as a senior partner in the law firm founded by his father (Fisher & Jeffries), Guy continued his enthusiastic interest in sport, playing competitive lawn tennis well into his 50's in veterans tournaments and socially. His involvement in tennis administration was primarily as a State selector for many years.

Other Interests

Guy also played social golf following his family long association with the Royal Adelaide Golf Club. He had a successful interest in the "Sport of Kings" and owned thoroughbred horses in partnership with his brother-in-law Edmund Britten Jones who had married his sister Hilda Madeline Fisher (a State Amateur Golf Champion 1921-1929 and a State Tennis Player).

In public life, Guy Fisher was President of the 10th Battalion A.I.F. Club (1938 -1940) and was made the first Life Members of the RSL. He was always had been dedicated to the welfare of less fortunate servicemen and their families. He and his wife were very prominent in the Adelaide social and charity scene with involvement with the Red Cross, Stirling District Hospital, Mothers and Babies Health Association and their place of worship The Church of Epiphany at Crafers. Their home, Pine Hill) at 32 Birch Road Stirling, was the setting for many garden parties and dances for charitable and social occasions.

Guy was not a high profile lawyer in Adelaide as very little is reported in the news of the day concerning his professional activities. It is ironic though that the most publisised legal case of his career concerned him as an unsecured creditor in one of Adelaide's most notable fraud cases. The case involved Harry Hoggetts who was a member of the Adelaide Club and especially well known in SACA cricketing circles for enticing Don Bradman to Adelaide to work in his share broking firm.

from The Australian Dictionary of Biography - H.W. Hodgetts

"H. W. Hodgetts & Co, the share-broking firm was a flourishing business and had many clients in the Adelaide establishment and sporting community. Harry was active on many sporting, educational, religious and charitable bodies, socially prominent and considered to be solidly respectable. Perhaps best known for in 1934 while a member of the Australian cricket board of control, contracting to employ the New South Wales batsman (Sir) Donald Bradman, who agreed to make himself available for the Kensington Club, South Australian and Australian teams.

Company losses from a Broken Hill agent's business failure and from speculation in wheat futures hit Hodgetts heavily. By 1941 additional losses, including those from underwriting the float of Hotel Darwin Ltd, compounded his problems. He borrowed clients' scrip to secure advances and pawned his Adelaide Club debentures, but interest payments and bankers' demands were pressing. From 1942 Federal wartime controls over stock exchange transactions (against which he had lobbied as a committee-member of the exchange) denied him opportunities to trade out of his difficulties.
On 2 June 1945 Hodgetts advised the exchange that he could not meet his commitments; an examination showed his estate deficiency to be £82,854. The collapse shocked Adelaide: the two hundred and thirty-eight unsecured creditors included the solicitor Guy Fisher (£34,567), the test cricketer Arthur Richardson who lost his life savings, the retired governor-general Lord Gowrie, Bradman and other well-known people.

Hodgetts, once a dapper dresser but now shabbier, with 'iron-grey hair and tired features', pleaded guilty in September to false pretences and fraudulent conversion. Even the funds of the Royal Institution for the Blind, of which he was honorary treasurer, had been misappropriated. The judge found that a 'disastrous combination of embarrassing difficulties' had led him to succumb to temptation. On being sentenced to five years imprisonment, Hodgetts wept.

The State government expedited legislation requiring sharebrokers to establish trust funds, keep proper books and produce audited accounts. Hodgetts's downfall prompted questions about the way in which Bradman immediately set up business on his own account, although he had a seat on the Stock Exchange and was not Hodgetts's partner."

Guy Fisher was immensely proud of his service to the empire in WW1 and also his wide contribution to the community during his lifetime. He was proud to wear his war medals at every opportune occasion.

In 1967, the year before his death, the Australian Government instituted the Gallipoli Lapel Badge, and Guy Fisher requested this as an addition to his WW1 medals which included the 1914/15 Star (Gallipoli Star), British War medal and Victory medal.

Guy and Alice Fisher had a son and three daughters. The eldest, Francis Robert (Bob) Fisher AO, QC, LLB. became a prominent Adelaide barrister and Federal Court Judge.

Guy Fisher died on the 27th August 1968 and was survived by his wife and four children. Alice passed away in 1970 and both their cremated remains were interred at Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena, Adelaide. Memorial Plaques were placed by family members in 1970 in the grounds of the Church of the Epiphany, Crafers.

Profile added with the permission of the author Rob O'Shannassy.

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.