While he repaired to his rural property at Boree Creek to the north-west of Canberra as often as he could during his political career, Tim Fischer did embrace life in the national capital and refused to join the slanging match against it.
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![Tim Fischer at Parliament House in 1996. Picture: Andrew Meares Tim Fischer at Parliament House in 1996. Picture: Andrew Meares](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/dc5syd-4y20g5u1bso73s1lmxl.jpg/r0_0_2272_1414_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
As tributes flowed for the former deputy prime minister, who died on Thursday aged, 73, one resounding assessment, by biographer Peter Rees, was that Fischer had been a "once-in-a-generation politician", not least for his basic decency.
That decency extended to how he treated Canberra, and its residents, refusing to join other politicians prone to blaming some kind of abstract ''Canberra'' for Australia's woes when they were away from the place.
In a 2000 interview with The Canberra Times, nearly a year after his exit from politics, while being quizzed about the likelihood of him becoming the next governor-general, Fischer, in a typical flourish, instead declared he'd be happy to be known as a roving ambassador for Canberra.
![Tim Fischer mixes it with the kids in Fyshwick at the launch of a child safety book in 1999. Picture: Martin Jones. Tim Fischer mixes it with the kids in Fyshwick at the launch of a child safety book in 1999. Picture: Martin Jones.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc6tgiqdyrp3dx22rwlfy.jpg/r0_0_2047_1610_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
''When we lived here, I enjoyed the ambiance of Manuka, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, the growing community life of Canberra as it develops a heart and more spirit,'' he said, at the time.
''I don't say I will necessarily take any formal role, but as opportunity permits I will speak up for the IT dimension of Canberra, for the regional role of Canberra, particularly its universities, and I think the nearby bush-walking is under-profiled.
![Tim Fischer, awarded an honorary degree from the Australian National University in 2005, with graduating students Joanna Orzeszko,and Sam McCoutir. Picture: Melissa Adams. Tim Fischer, awarded an honorary degree from the Australian National University in 2005, with graduating students Joanna Orzeszko,and Sam McCoutir. Picture: Melissa Adams.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/fdcx/doc6tem1qq0mqgyu8s3lnv.jpg/r0_0_1724_1152_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It's not quite as good as Bhutan, not quite as dramatic as Bhutan, but the Brindabellas are pretty damn good all the same.''
Vale, Tim.
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