William Robert Fisher was born at Walcha, New South Wales on 6 July 1888 to parents James Fisher and Alice Fisher (née Hall). Fisher was the only child born to these parents; however, Alice remarried in July 1890 and had a further five sons and a daughter. Fisher was a school teacher and began as a pupil teacher at Manilla, New South Wales in 1913.

Fisher enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Armidale, New South Wales, on 10 October 1916. Initially attached to the Armidale Depot Battalion, Fisher was taken on strength in the 33rd Battalion, 6th Reinforcements. Fisher’s unit embarked from Sydney on 25 November 1916 aboard the troopship Beltana, arriving at Devonport, England, on 29 January 1917. After a period of training at camps Sutton Mandeville and Durrington, near Salisbury, Fisher went to France on 22 May 1917 and joined the 1st Battalion. In October 1917 Fisher received a gunshot wound to the foot and was repatriated to Guildford War Hospital in England. After a period of convalescence, Fisher returned to France and rejoined his battalion in March 1918. On 23 August 1918, Fisher was operating as a company runner during an attack at Chuignolles, France. In recognition of his actions in maintaining communications while frequently exposed to enemy fire, he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field. Several days later, Fisher was accidentally wounded in the face when an anti-tank shell, that was being handled by another soldier in his dugout, exploded.

In January 1919, Fisher was promoted to Sergeant. After a period of leave in England, he rejoined his battalion in France in March 1919. In July 1919, Fisher embarked England for return to Australia on the troopship Boorara and disembarked on 26 August 1919.

During the voyage home to Australia Fisher participated in a concert performed by “The Ragged Set Pierriot Troupe” on 18 August 1919. Fisher sang three songs in the program including “Somewhere a Voice is Calling”, “Raggin’ thro’ the Rye” and “Great Red Dawn”. Fisher was discharged from the AIF on 5 October 1919.

Fisher married Gladys Emily Jane Coote at Manilla, New South Wales, in July 1922.

After the war he returned to teaching and in 1920 was appointed to O.B.X. Creek school, south-west of Grafton, New South Wales, until the school closed in 1922. He then moved to Nymboida Public School, where he taught for 13 years and then for 7 years at North Dorrigo. In 1943 Fisher moved to Tamworth and for a time was Commandant of the Volunteer Air Observer’s Corps during the Second World War. He suffered a stroke in 1943; his health deteriorated, and he suffered another stroke in 1947 which proved fatal.

William Robert Fisher died at Tamworth on 27 September 1947 at the age of 59. Gladys Fisher died at Tamworth in June 1977 at the age of 79.