Ernest Ridding
Australian eccentric
About Ernest Ridding
Lived 1927 – 2001 (aged 73–74).
Ernest 'Ernie' Ridding (1927–2001) was an eccentric resident of Glebe, NSW. He was well known locally as 'The Fridge Man' on account of his practice of repairing old refrigerators and donating them to the poor.
During his early life, Ridding spent time in Goulburn's Kenmore Psychiatric Hospital, after which he adopted the title "Ernest Ridding, GKN LLM" ("Graduate of Kenmore Nuthouse, Legally and Lawfully Mad"). In his final years, Ridding moved to a Marrickville nursing home.
Ridding's life was documented in an exhibition on Sydney's eccentric residents. In September 2007, Ridding's community service was honoured in the unveiling of a plaque, by Governor of New South Wales Marie Bashir, at the Glebe Community Garden, with the text: "In giving, he inspires us to give."
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Important facts
People in Ernest Ridding's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ernest Ridding's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ernest Ridding?
Australian eccentric
When was Ernest Ridding born?
Ernest Ridding was born in 1927.
When did Ernest Ridding die?
Ernest Ridding died in 2001.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ernest Ridding. https://biography.guide/ernest-ridding/
MLA: "Ernest Ridding." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ernest-ridding/.
Chicago: "Ernest Ridding." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ernest-ridding/.
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