Vale Dr Rod Fisher, Brisbane historian

Last month saw the passing of respected Brisbane historian Dr Rod Fisher in Brazil. Rod was a longstanding member and former president of the Brisbane History Group as well as researching and authoring a variety of publications, including Diggles down under : Brisbane via Sydney from Merseyside 1855-80 (2003); Boosting Brisbane : imprinting the colonial capital of Queensland (2009); The Best of Colonial Brisbane (2012); Queenslanders: Their Historic Timbered Homes (2016) and Bygone Brisbane: its history, your heritage (2016).

He had a varied career, including his work as a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland, serving as an assessor for the Queensland Heritage Council, and as a consultant to a variety of community groups, including Brisbane Living Heritage Network and the Turrbal Association. Rod was a familiar face to staff at the State Library of Queensland where he was an active user of the heritage collections for his research. He leaves a significant legacy in the study and understanding of Brisbane history through his research and published works.

Two of Rod Fisher's papers for the Journal of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland can be viewed online via Text Queensland  -

• "Through a Glass Darkly" : Photographers and their role in the Moreton Bay Region before 1860 (1986)
• Brisbane's timber houses in Queensland context: the human dimension (1989)