author

William Ridley

1819–1878

Drawn to Australia by a missionary calling, he became best known for studying and recording Aboriginal languages, especially Gamilaraay. His work joined religious life, travel, and close attention to language in a way that still makes him stand out.

1 Audiobook

Gurre Kamilaroi, or, Kamilaroi Sayings (1856)

Gurre Kamilaroi, or, Kamilaroi Sayings (1856)

by William Ridley

About the author

Born in Essex, England, in 1819, William Ridley trained in law and studied at the University of London before moving toward church work. He traveled to Australia in 1850 and became a Presbyterian minister, eventually working in New South Wales.

Ridley is remembered less for conventional ministry than for his serious interest in Aboriginal languages and cultures. He studied several languages, with Gamilaraay especially associated with his name, and published writing based on his travels and observations in Australia.

He died in Sydney in 1878. Today, he is usually described as a missionary, minister, and linguist whose writings preserve important historical material about Aboriginal languages, even as they reflect the attitudes and limits of his era.