27 Facts About Aden Ridgeway

Aden Derek Ridgeway was born on 18 September 1962 and is an Australian former politician.

Aden Ridgeway was a member of the Australian Senate for New South Wales from 1999 to 2005, representing the Australian Democrats.

Aden Ridgeway is currently a spokesperson for Recognise, the movement to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples in the Australian Constitution.

Aden Derek Ridgeway was born on the Bellwood Aboriginal reserve in Nambucca Heads, as one of the Gumbaynggirr people.

Aden Ridgeway was educated at Bellwood and St John's College, Woodlawn in Lismore.

Aden Ridgeway then became involved in the public service, engaging in a number of careers, including being a park ranger, and working in several New South Wales government departments.

In 1990, Ridgeway was elected onto the first ATSIC Sydney Regional Council, a position in which he served two terms of office.

Aden Ridgeway became a Member of the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales from 1995.

Aden Ridgeway was the Director of the Public Service Board Staff Credit Union from 1996 to 1998.

Aden Ridgeway was selected in the first position on the Democrats' Senate ticket at the 1998 election.

Aden Ridgeway has served on a number of parliamentary and senate committees.

Aden Ridgeway continued as deputy leader until August 2002, when along with fellow senators John Cherry, Lyn Allison and Andrew Murray, he succeeded in forcing Stott Despoja to resign.

Aden Ridgeway was expected to be appointed interim leader however, in a surprise decision, the party's National Executive installed Brian Greig as interim leader due to the role Aden Ridgeway played in forcing the resignation of Stott Despoja.

Aden Ridgeway did not contest the subsequent leadership ballot, at which Andrew Bartlett defeated Brian Greig.

Aden Ridgeway was technically leader between Natasha Stott Despoja's resignation and the appointment of Brian Greig as interim leader.

Aden Ridgeway stood down as deputy leader and was replaced by Lyn Allison.

Aden Ridgeway did not contest the leadership and stood down as deputy leader as he felt the National Executive's decision not to appoint him as interim leader was a reflection on him in a leadership position.

Aden Ridgeway remained in the Senate, being particularly active on issues of Indigenous Affairs and reconciliation.

Aden Ridgeway lost his seat in the 2004 election, along with Cherry, Lees, and Greig.

Aden Ridgeway received the NAIDOC Person of the Year award in 2005 and was made chair of the National NAIDOC Committee, a role that he occupied until 2008.

In May 2006, Aden Ridgeway was selected as the new host of ABC Television's Message Stick program.

Aden Ridgeway was the inaugural chairman of Indigenous Tourism Australia.

In 2007, Aden Ridgeway partnered with Tim Powell of Cox Inall Communications to establish Cox Inall Aden Ridgeway, a social change agency that seeks to disrupt disadvantage in Indigenous communities.

The agency is based on the lands of the Eora Nation, and Aden Ridgeway is currently a partner in the business.

Aden Ridgeway was Chairman of Bangarra Dance Theatre from 1998 to 2010.

In February 2013, Aden Ridgeway was announced as a spokesperson for the Recognise campaign, a movement to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution.

On 4 March 2020, it was announced that Aden Ridgeway would be a member of the Local and Regional Co-Design Group for the Indigenous voice to government, set up in late 2019.