During convict settlement, explorers passed through the region but it was not until 1865 that the first settlers started farming the area's rich alluvial soil. The area takes its name from the Roche family, who emigrated from Ireland to Australia in 1860 and settled in the region. The family built a homestead they called Rochedale in 1868. During the 1960s residential development took off in the area. One local builder, Jack Davey was responsible for some of the new estates off Rochedale Road between Underwood Road and Priestdale Road. Some of the street names are family names such as Rhonda Street and Davey Street. The family lived in the area until the mid 1990s. The suburb of Rochedale is supported by many community organisations including sporting clubs, religious entities, youth organisations and educational groups. In 1956, the Rochedale Scout Group was formed and established a Scout Den on the corner of Grieve and Rochedale Roads. This parcel of land was zoned for recreational use by the Queensland Government. In 1981, the Redeemer Lutheran College was established. The Rochedale dump began operations in 1991. A waste-to-energy facility has been generating electricity since 2004.
Development
Rochedale State School was established at the intersection of Miles Platting Road and Rochedale Road in 1931. In previous elections, the controversy on whether a dump should be built in Rochedale or not featured heavily in some candidates' campaigns. From 2009, Rochedale is expected to experience major growth from 1,200 residents to over 17,000 over the course of 15–20 years. This is due to 'The Rochedale Urban Community Development' where bush and farm lands have been approved by the Brisbane City Council to be turned into housing estates. As Rochedale backs onto the Priest Gully a wildlife corridor has been set up to preserve the localflora and fauna.
Demographics
In the, the population of Rochedale was 1,092, 49.5% female and 50.5% male. The median age of the Rochedale population was 43 years, 6 years above the Australian median. 64.9% of people living in Rochedale were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were Taiwan 3.8%, England 3.7%, New Zealand 3.5%, Italy 1.2%, United States of America 1.2%. 72.4% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 4.2% Mandarin, 1.6% Italian, 1.6% Greek, 1.5% Cantonese, 1% Punjabi.
