PEDOPHILE PRIEST GERALD FRANCIS RIDSDALE'S LIFE AND OFFENDING
1934 - Born May 20, St Arnaud, Victoria
Primary school St Aloysius, Redan
Secondary school St Patrick's College, Ballarat
1954-1958 - Studied for priesthood Corpus Christi College, Werribee. Began offending.
1958-1960 - Seminary, Collegio Brignole Sale, Genoa
1960-1961 - Seminary, All Hallows College, Dublin
1961 - July 25, ordained as priest at St Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat
- Fills in at five parishes including Horsham, Inglewood, Camperdown and Ballarat North
1962-1964 - Assistant priest at Ballarat North
- First complaint in Ridsdale's first year as priest - boy from Villa Maria boarding school in Ballarat East
1964-1966 - Assistant priest Mildura
1966-1969 - Assistant priest Swan Hill
1970-1972 - Assistant priest Warrnambool
1972-1974 - Assistant priest Ballarat East
1974-1975 - Parish priest Apollo Bay. Puts in for transfer February 1975 after man tells him in a pub there's talk about him and kids
1975 - Parish priest Inglewood. Leaves overnight after policeman complains that he has interfered with his son. Sent for counselling
Early 1976 - Temporarily appointed to Bungaree
1976-1979 - Administrator then parish priest Edenhope
1980 - Study leave, National Pastoral Institute. Offended there
1981-1982 - Parish priest Mortlake. Prolific offender. Replacement believes Ridsdale molested every boy aged 10-16 at the school
1982 - Starts on-and-off counselling
1982-1985 - Catholic Enquiry Centre, Sydney. Within 12 months offends against boy from parish prayer group who became his altar boy. End of 1983 centre director says "I want him out of here"
Early 1986 - Short periods as Woy Woy assistant priest and Forestville administrator, both in then Sydney archdiocese
July 1986-May 1988 - Assistant priest Horsham
(August 1987 - Written complaint about offending while in Horsham)
April 1988 - Steps down from parish work
June 1988 - Priestly faculties suspended for 12 months
November 1989-September 1990 - Residential program at Jemez Springs centre in New Mexico. A document before commission says Ridsdale admitted to police he offended in US
March/April 1991 - Assistant priest St John of God Hospital, Richmond, NSW (role as a chaplain)
May 1993 - Admits indecently assaulting eight children. Now Cardinal George Pell and Father Adrian McInerney accompany him to court. Sentenced to two years and three months, suspended after three months
November 1993 - Laicised
August 1994 - Admits abusing 20 boys and one girl from 1961-1981. Held in custody
October 1994 - Jailed for 18 years (15-year minimum)
August 2006 - Sentenced to 13 years (seven-year minimum); admits abusing 10 boys from 1970-1987
April 2014 - Sentenced to eight years (five-year minimum); admits abusing 11 boys, three girls from 1961-1980
April 2019 - Eligible for parole, aged 84.
