Prior to European settlement, Australian aborigines of the Duke of York clan lived in the local area, though their main camping ground was further south in the suburb now known as
Herston. The Duke of York clan was part of the Turrbal tribe who occupied the area north from Logan River, south of the North Pine River, east of Moggill Creek to Moreton Bay. Soon after Brisbane was declared a free settlement in 1842, Europeans began exploring the lands north of Brisbane City. The suburb was originally known as
North Chermside until the mid 1970s. A northern route followed aboriginal tracks through what is now
Kelvin Grove,
Enoggera,
Everton Hills,
Albany Creek onto North Pine. After the
separation of Queensland from
New South Wales in 1859, subsequent subdivisions were much smaller. Originally known as
Soldiers Flat and then
Little Cabbage Tree Creek, the area became officially called
Aspley in 1897. The name is believed to refer to the Aspley Orangery and Aspley Vineyard owned by John Morris in 1860s. Morris came from
Nottinghamshire in England where there was an
Aspley Hall. From 1879, all northern districts of
Brisbane were within the local government area of
Nundah Division. In 1883,
Toombul Division separated. In 1886, the Nundah Division was subdivided into three smaller local government area. In 1903, Nundah Division become the
Shire of Kedron as it was no longer based in
Nundah. On 1 October 1925, the Shire of Kedron was integrated into
Greater Brisbane. Little Cabbage-tree Creek State School opened on 6 August 1890. Before it was built, students would infrequently attend classes at the schools in
Bald Hills or
Zillmere. Initial sites for the new school were not approved by the Government before finally accepting the location on the corner of Maundrell Terrace and Horn Road. In 1897, the school was renamed Aspley State School. In the latter part of the 19th century, Aspley was essentially a farming district. Additional industries were established to support the farming industry. In the 1880s, John Smith Booth established a bone mill and sawmill on Little Cabbage Tree Creek and Albany Creek Road. It later relocated to the current location of the former Aspley Acres Caravan Park and finally closed in 1932. In 1888, Huttons Pty Ltd established a meat processing plant in nearby suburb
Zillmere. It contributed greatly to the local economy of Aspley, providing an alternative employment for farmers during poor seasons. A blacksmith operated on the northern corner of
Gympie Road and Albany Creek Road until the 1920s. Several slaughter houses operated along Little Cabbage Tree Creek.In 1912, the Kedron Omnibus company was formed by locals and ran local services to Wooloowin Station after previous services were cancelled as an aftermath of the 1912 transport strike. Before and during
World War I, the land now known as Marchant Park was variously used as the home of
artillery and
light horse units. On 9 September 1921, the land was donated by its owner,
soft drink manufacturer
George Marchant to create Marchant Park. pickup point as the coaches did not change horses until Strathpine and "watering hole" for bullock teams.After
World War I and into the 1920s, Aspley experienced some growth in the number of businesses present in the district. Griffiths Sweet Factory operated on
Gympie Road between 1930 and 1950 after shifting from Windsor. Hedges Dripping Factory operated near the reservoir on Lawrence Road. A brickworks was established by the Granville family on Brickfield Road during the 1930s. In 1918, the Aspley Assembly Hall (a local community hall) was built on
Gympie Road. A year later, movies were presented inside the hall. In 1950 the hall was sold to become St Paul's Anglican Church. The church was dedicated by Bishop Administrator
John Hudson on 10 March 1963. It closed on 24 October 1981 as the land was resumed for road purposes. The Methodist services were held in the Aspley Assembly Hall from 1918. In 1932 the congregation acquired one acre of land on Robinson Road for a church. on 8 October 1932, the foundation stone was laid and the church was erected for £350. A hall was opened on 23 November 1958, and its extension was opened on 25 October 1964. With the creation of the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, it became the Aspley Uniting Church. In 1984 the former St Philip's Presbyterian Church in Aspley (which also became part of the Uniting Church) officially merged with the Aspley Uniting Church and St Philip's was closed. The foundation stone for the current church was laid on 14 October 1984 by the Reverend
Rolland Busch, the President of the Uniting Church in Australia with the new church officially opening on 24 November 1985. Duhig returned on Sunday 17 September 1933 to officially open the church. This church was demolished and replaced by a new church in 1974 called Aspley Catholic War Memorial Church of Our Lady and St Dympna. By the 1960s, the suburban development of the local area necessitated building additional school and churches. St Philip's Presbyterian Church was officially opened on 7 February 1960 by the Right Reverend Robert McCann Park, Moderator of the Presbyterian State Assembly. It was located on the corner of Petanne Street and Summerfield Street (approx ). Following the creation of the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, St Philip's joined the Uniting Church. As the former Aspley Methodist Church also became a Uniting Church, it was decided to merge the congregations and close St Philip's with a final service in St Philip's on 1 February 1984. St Dympna's Catholic Primary School, established by the
Sisters of St Joseph, opened on 24 January 1963. Aspley East State School opened on 29 January 1963. It became one of the largest and most popular primary schools on Brisbane's north side, drawing students from a wide area. In 2013, Aspley East State School celebrated its 50th anniversary. Aspley State High School opened on 29 January 1963. Aspley Special School opened on 6 November 1973. == Demographics ==