Fisher was born in Crosshouse, Scotland, where he was educated at the Crosshouse Primary School. At the age of 10 he left school to work in the coal mines. In 1885 he moved to Australia where he worked in the coal mines at Burrum and Gympie. He was elected to the Queensland Parliament in 1892. In 1901 he married Margaret Irvine. Fisher was elected in 1901 to the seat of Wide Bay in the first Australian parliament.