He is currently a member of the New South Wales State Parole Authority, of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal, and of the NSW Government Expert Advisory Group on Drugs and Alcohol. After being a member of the Civics Education Group, he is currently a member of the Values Education Advisory Committee which involves advising the Minister of Education how best to facilitate the inculcation of values in Australian schools. During his time as Chair, Centenary of Federation Queensland, 1999-2002, he was actively involved in sourcing and overseeing a budget of $22 million and in co-ordinating all the celebrations and activities throughout the 12 regions of Queensland for the centenary of Australia's Federation in 2001.

As well as being Emeritus Professor, History and Politics and Adjunct Professor in the School of Arts at Griffith University, Ross Fitzgerald is also Conjoint Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Education and Arts at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Professor Fitzgerald's Ph.D from the University of New South Wales was in Political Theory.

He has published thirty three books. Prof. Fitzgerald's most recent books are "My Name is Ross:An Alcoholic's Journey" and "Alan ('The Red Fox') Reid", both published in 2010 by New South Books, "Made in Queensland: A New History", published by University of Queensland Press and "Under the Influence, a history of alcohol in Australia", published by ABC Books, The Pope's Battalions: Santamaria, Catholicism and the Labor Split and Growing Old (Dis) Gracefully: 35 Australians Reflect on Life over 50. Other non-fiction works include The Federation Mirror: Queensland 1901-2001; Seven Days to Remember: The World's First Labor Government; Fred Paterson, The People's Champion - Australia's Only Communist Party Member of Parliament and Red Ted: The Life of E.G. Theodore, which was short-listed for the NSW Premier’s Prize and for the National Biography Award.

He co-authored Labor in Queensland; edited two best-selling collections, The Eleven Deadly Sins and The Eleven Saving Virtues. He has written several books about Australian Football and four works of fiction: Pushed from the Wings: An Entertainment; All About Anthrax; Busy in the Fog: Further Adventures of Grafton Everest; and Soaring.

He co-produced and edited the script for The Test an Indian-Australian feature film being produced with Jim McElroy at Fox Studios Sydney. He is also co-producer, with Peter Cherry, of Ho & Me (a movie about Wilfred Burchett and Ho Chi Minh) and, with Ian McFadyan, Kerensky and Nelle (a movie about Alexander Kerensky and Nell Tritton). Professor Fitzgerald is currently researching, A Nation Under the Influence, a written and visual history of alcohol in Australia.

He lives in Sydney with his wife, Lyndal Moor, and their child Emily who is 28.