Aden Ridgeway facts for kids

Aden Derek Ridgeway is an important Australian politician who used to work in the government. He was a Senator for New South Wales from 1999 to 2005. He was part of the Australian Democrats political party. During his time in Parliament, he was the only Aboriginal person there. Today, he is a spokesperson for Recognise. This group wants to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution.

Early Life and Learning

Aden Derek Ridgeway was born in Nambucca Heads, New South Wales, Australia. He grew up on the Bellwood Aboriginal reserve. His family belongs to the Gumbaynggirr people.

He went to school at Bellwood and then at St John's College, Woodlawn in Lismore.

Starting His Career

After finishing Year 11 at school, Aden Ridgeway worked as a boilermaker. Later, he started working for the government. He had many different jobs, like being a park ranger. He also worked in several government departments in New South Wales.

In 1990, he was chosen to be on the first ATSIC Sydney Regional Council. He served on this council for two terms.

From 1994 to 1998, he was the Executive Director of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council. In 1994, he also became a trustee for the Australian Museum Trust.

Political Journey

Aden Ridgeway joined the Australian Democrats party in 1990. From 1997 to 1998, he helped create policies for the Democrats in New South Wales. He was then chosen to be the main candidate for the Democrats in the 1998 election for the Senate.

As a Senator, he worked on many important committees in Parliament.

In April 2001, Ridgeway became the deputy leader of the Democrats. This happened after Natasha Stott Despoja became the new leader.

He stayed as deputy leader until August 2002. At that time, he and other senators asked Natasha Stott Despoja to step down as leader. Many thought he would become the next leader. However, the party chose Brian Greig as a temporary leader instead.

Ridgeway then stepped down as deputy leader. He felt the party's decision showed they didn't want him as a leader. Lyn Allison took over as deputy leader.

He continued to be a Senator until 2005. He worked hard on issues important to Indigenous Australians and on bringing people together. He lost his Senate seat in the 2004 election. His time as a Senator ended on June 30, 2005.

After Politics

In 2005, Aden Ridgeway received the NAIDOC Person of the Year award. He also became the chair of the National NAIDOC Committee until 2008.

In 2006, he became the host of the Message Stick TV show on ABC Television. He was also the first chairman of Indigenous Tourism Australia.

In 2007, Ridgeway helped start a company called Cox Inall Ridgeway. This company works to help Indigenous communities and solve problems they face. He is still a partner in this business today.

He was also the Chairman of Bangarra Dance Theatre from 1998 to 2010.

In 2013, Ridgeway became a spokesperson for the Recognise campaign. This campaign wants to recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution. He helped start a relay across Australia called "Journey to Recognition" to raise awareness.

In 2020, he joined a group helping to design an Indigenous voice to government. This group helps make sure Indigenous voices are heard by the government.

As of 2023, Ridgeway is on the board of the Muurrbay Aboriginal Language and Culture Co-operative. This center in Nambucca studies and teaches Aboriginal languages from New South Wales.