| Honorific-Prefix: | The Right Worshipful |
| Dr Ross Kerridge | |
| Office1: | Lord Mayor of Newcastle |
| Term Start1: | 14 September 2024 |
| Predecessor1: | Nuatali Nelmes |
| Birth Date: | 1956 5, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality: | Australian |
| Party: | Independent Labor 'Our Newcastle' (since 2024) |
| Otherparty: | Labor (until 2024) |
| Spouse: | Marion Kerridge |
| Residence: | Newcastle East |
| Education: | University of Sydney |
| Occupation: | Senior Staff Specialist at John Hunter Hospital, Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle (Australia) |
| Profession: | Anaesthesiologist |
Ross Kenneth Kerridge (born 31 May 1956) is an Australian anaesthetist and politician who has served as the Lord Mayor of Newcastle since 2024.[1]
Kerridge was born in Newcastle to parents Dr Gordon Kerridge AM and Catherine Kerridge (née Morley) on 31 May 1956.[2] He is married to Marion and lives in Newcastle East.[3]
His first job upon leaving Newcastle Boys' High School was as a labourer at Newcastle Steelworks before attending the University of Sydney to study a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, graduating in 1980. He holds a Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Surgeons (1986) as well as the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (1988).
Kerridge is employed at John Hunter Hospital as a Senior Staff Specialist as well as a Conjoint Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle in the School of Medicine and Public Health.[4]
Kerridge joined the New South Wales Labor Party at age 18. He was present at Blacktown when prime minister Gough Whitlam launched the 1974 election campaign and at the Sydney Opera House in 1987 when Bob Hawke committed that no child should live in poverty.[5]
In February 2024, Kerridge nominated and narrowly lost Labor preselection for the position of Lord Mayor to the incumbent, Nuatali Nelmes.[6]
On 19 July 2024, Kerridge and other members formally resigned from the Labor Party to contest the Lord Mayoralty of the City of Newcastle as well as all council wards at the upcoming elections as an Independent candidate under the banner 'Our Newcastle'.[7]
At the 2024 New South Wales local elections, Nelmes and Labor suffered a substantial primary vote drop for the position of Lord Mayor as well as losing their voting bloc majority in the council chamber. Nelmes conceded defeat by emailing Kerridge on 17 September 2024.[1] [8] Kerridge has stated publicly that he continues to support the current state and federal Labor politicians in Newcastle.[9]