THE HON. GEORGE FISHER, MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9020, 5 April 1888, Page 6

THE HON. GEORGE FISHER, MINISTER OF EDUCATION.

Lir\, | ...mmn i ' Wb, give in our present issue' a portrait of the Hon. GeorgoFishe;, JVlmfetsr Education, nd member forWelJingtonStfufh), who may be expected here to-day by the s.#. Wanaka from New Plymouth. Though well known ia Auckland* ihis will be Ms first visit * here as ft Minister of the Crown. A few biographiciil particulars eoncerning him may be iof interest at the present juncture. Mr. Fisher, though of Scottish descent was born - in Dublin, and is in middle life, being about 45 years of age. At the early age of nine

he waa employed in a Lcndon printing office, but in 1852 the father left for Melbourne, and the family followed in 1857. He commenced as " reading boy" in the Age, of which journal his father was part proprietor, and afterwards on the Herald. Subsequently he served his time as a compositor in Messrs. Ferguson and Moore's, Melbourne, but left for New Zealand to try his luck during the Otago goldfields rush of 1863. He worked at his trade in Inveroargill, Dunedin, Christchurch, Hokitika, and subsequently in the Wellington Government Printing Office, where he remained till 1871, when he became a reporter on the Wellington Independent, and ultimately on the Parliamentary Hansard staff, a position which he held for many years. In 1877 he entered the Wellington City . Council, representing the Thorndon Ward, and for initiating and carrying out certain reforms, he received an address and, a valuable silver sendee. He subsequently became Mayor for tour terms, during his term of office the Wainui-o-mata waterworks scheme being completed. In 1884 he entered Parliamentary life, becoming member for Wellington South, and at the last general election was returned for the new constituency of Wellington East. He soon made his mark in the Assembly, and proved himself a man of great energy and perseverance, and an excellent debater. On the resignation of the Sfcout-Ycgel Ministry, and Major Atkinson being charged with the formation of a new Administration, it was found that Mr. Fisher's time had come, and that he had claims to office which could not be ignored. He was offered, and accepted, the portfolio of Minister of Education, and has fulfilled the duties of the office most efficiently. His stay in Auckland will be , but a brief one. ■