Fuhrer began his career as a photographer in Portland in 1955. In 1957 he formed the Portland Camera Club and was its president for six years. He was an inaugural member of the
Mount Richmond National Park Management Committee, formed in 1960. He joined the
Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FNCV) and the
Ringwood Field Naturalists Club in the sixties, and became Chairman of the Botany Group of the FNCV for three years. He also served on the FNCV Council between 1964 and 1968. In 1961 Fuhrer established the Ringwood Junior Field Naturalist Club and was president for sixteen years of its existence. He later established 'The Basin Junior Field Naturalist' Club (now the Wildlife Observers Club Inc.) Fuhrer contributed substantial photographs in the first comprehensive illustrative guide to Victorian Flora –
Flowers And Plants Of Victoria And Tasmania published in 1968. Already acknowledged as a botanist and photographer, he was invited to judge at the 1970, 1974 and 1978 Victorian Photoflora Competitions. Fuhrer's first publication was in 1978:
A Field Guide to the Common Genera of Gilled Fungi in Australia. He subsequently wrote many books on Australian fungi, including
A Field Guide to Australian Fungi. Fuhrer worked for 25 years in the School of Biology at
Monash University. At this time, he co-authored species including
Rozites armeniacovelatus (now
Cortinarius armeniacovelatus). For this work at
Monash University, he received an Honorary Master of Science degree in 1988. Fuhrer was a Senior Technical Officer, Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, at Monash University for the years 1972 to 1996. Fuhrer has discovered several previously undescribed fungal species and described many
liverworts. There are four species of fungi and two
liverworts named after Fuhrer. The fungi are
Calostoma fuhreri (desert prettymouth),
Hygrocybe fuhreri,
Hypoxylon fuhreri and
Mycena fuhreri; the
liverworts are
Fossombronia fuhreri and
Bazzania fuhreri. ==Death==