Ross Fitzgerald

Ross Andrew Fitzgerald is an Australian academic, historian, novelist, secularist, and political commentator. Fitzgerald is an emeritus professor in history and politics at Griffith University. He has authored or co-authored many books, including histories of Queensland; biographies; works about Labor Party politics of the 1950s; and books relating to philosophy, alcohol abuse, and Australian Rules football. He has written works of fiction.

Early life and education

Ross Andrew Fitzgerald was born in Melbourne, Victoria.

He was awarded his PhD in political theory from the University of New South Wales.

Career

Fitzgerald worked as a lecturer at Griffith University from 1977 to 1986, and then senior lecturer /associate professor between 1987 and 1996, followed by a personal chair between 1996 and 2002. In 2002 Fitzgerald was appointed professor in history and politics.

During his time as an Australian Research Council senior research fellow from 1992 to 1996, as well as writing two political biographies, Fitzgerald co-produced two ABC TV documentaries, about E. G. Theodore and Australia's only Communist Party member of parliament, Fred Paterson.

Fitzgerald wrote regular columns and book reviews for ''The Australian'', ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', ''The Age'' and ''The Canberra Times''. He also appears on ABC Radio, ABC Television, the Alan Jones Show, Sky News Australia, and Channel 7. He was a regular guest speaker at The Sydney Institute. In July 2023, Caroline Overington, literary editor of ''The Weekend Australian'', announced that Fitzgerald would no longer be writing reviews for the newspaper after it was discovered that he had plagiarised many of his book reviews.

Other roles and activities

Fitzgerald served as chair of Centenary of Federation Queensland between 1999 and 2002, and as a judge of the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Non Fiction and Australian History.

He was member of the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal from 2012 to 2016, of the Australian Government's Expert Advisory Group on Drugs and Alcohol between 2000 and 2013, a member of the New South Wales Heritage Council between 2003 and 2009, a member of the New South Wales Parole Board between 2002 and 2012, a member of Administrative Decisions Tribunal of New South Wales between 2002 and 2012, and a member of the Queensland Parole Board between 1997 and 2002.

At the 2016 federal election Fitzgerald was a candidate for the Australian Senate representing the state of New South Wales, standing for the Australian Sex Party (later renamed The Reason Party).

Fitzgerald is a life member of the Australian Republic Movement.

Recognition and honours

In 2014 Fitzgerald as appointed a Member in the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to education in the field of politics and history as an academic, and to community and public health organisations.

His 2015 book, ''Going out backwards: a Grafton Everest adventure'' was shortlisted for the 2017 Russell Prize for Humour Writing.

Personal life

Fitzgerald is a recovery alcoholic who admitted in his memoirs, ''My Name is Ross: An Alcoholic's Journey'' and ''Fifty Years Sober'', to consuming excessive alcohol between the ages of 15 and 24 years, when he took his last drink.

Published works

Fitzgerald has published 46 books, including the following titles:
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*, which was short-listed for the NSW Premier's Prize and for the National Biography Award.
*, awarded the Eros Foundation erotic novel of the year in 1994.
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*, about Fred Paterson.
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*, a book about Australian rules football.
* Going out backwards was shortlisted for the 2017 Russell Prize for Humour Writing.
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Television and film documentaries

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;In development
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References

External links

Personal website

My Name is Ross: An Alcoholic's Journey

Soaring

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzgerald, Ross
1944 births
Living people
Australian historians
20th-century Australian novelists
21st-century Australian novelists
Australian male novelists
Australian political scientists
Australian screenwriters
Australian Sex Party politicians
Australian people of Irish descent
People from Queensland
Writers from Sydney
University of New South Wales alumni
Historians of Australia
Australian male screenwriters
20th-century Australian male writers
21st-century Australian male writers
Quadrant (magazine) people