Margaret Fisher

Margaret Fisher
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia
In office 13 November 1908 – 2 June 1909
Preceded by	Pattie Deakin
Succeeded by	Pattie Deakin
In office 29 April 1910 – 24 June 1913
Preceded by	Pattie Deakin
Succeeded by	Dame Mary Cook
In office 17 September 1914 – 27 October 1915
Preceded by	Dame Mary Cook
Succeeded by	Dame Mary Hughes
Personal details
Born	Margaret Jane Irvine 4 July 1874 Nanango, Queensland, Australia
Died	15 June 1958(1958-06-15) (aged 83) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Spouse(s)	Andrew Fisher ​ ​ (m. 1901; died 1928)​
Children	6

Margaret Jane Fisher (née Irvine; 4 July 1874^[1] – 15 June 1958^[2]) was married to Andrew Fisher on 31 December 1901. They lived in Gympie, Queensland in her husband's electorate of Wide Bay. However, when her husband was elected Leader of the Australian Labor Party in 1907 they were moved to Melbourne, at that time serving as the temporary seat of government of Australia. They bought Oakleigh Hall at Hughenden Road, [East St Kilda]. The house was a constant source of financial worry to Andrew Fisher. Unlike her predecessors as wife of the Prime Minister of Australia, she took part in political demonstrations. When she and her husband travelled to London for the coronation of George V she joined a large procession marking the progress of a bill intended to give British women the right to vote. At the Imperial Conference, also taking place at the same time as the coronation, Andrew Fisher was the sole Prime Minister from a labour party, making the Fishers somewhat of a celebrity with British Labour Party members of parliament led by Andrew Fisher's friend Keir Hardie. This also caused some embarrassment for Margaret. She attended a Labour Party dinner on the same night she and Rosina Batchelor were intended to be presented at court. Because of an error the two ladies were not told to leave the dinner in time to change into their court dresses and drive to Buckingham Palace. She was later dubbed by reporters the 'Yes, No Lady' after she failed to explain why she was presented some weeks later at Holyrood House.^[3]

She had six children with her husband Andrew fisher

Margaret Fisher died on 15 June 1958.^[4]

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