William Ridley (1819-1878), Presbyterian minister, was born at Essex, England, son of William Ridley, miller and his wife Maria. He was educated at the University of London Interested in missionary work he was recruited to Australia by the Rev J.D. Lang in 1849, arriving at Sydney in March 1850. He was ordained by Lang shortly after his arrival. He taught classics at the Australian College during 1850. In 1851 he was appointed to the Dungog area and in 1853 he began an itinerant ministry in the New England district which later extended to Moreton Bay. He worked with local aboriginal tribes and in 1855 published his 'Report..of a Journey along the Condamine, Barwan and Namoi Rivers' (Sydney, 1855). In 1866 he published 'Kamilaroi, Dippil, and Turrubul: Languages spoken by Australian Aborigines', which was republished in 1875 as 'Kamilaroi and other Australian languages'. He returned to Sydney in 1858 and after a few years of parish work he became a journalist in 1861. As a journalist he worked as assistant editor of the Empire and as editor of the Evening News and the Australian Town and Country Journal. He remained involved with the Presbyterian Church, preaching most. Sundays Ridley died in 1878.