Ridley was ordained in the Scots Church by Lang in 1850, the following year he was appointed to Dungog, New South Wales.
He also helped edit the Australian Witness for two years and also wrote for the Sydney University Magazine.
In conjunction with Dr. Robert Steel he obtained government aid for the Maloga mission.
[1] In 1861 he provided an opinion to the Select Committee on the Native Police Force of Queensland.
This was regarding "considerations as to the means to be adopted for civilizing the Aborigines of Australia, suggested by a three-years' mission among that people.