Albany Creek

Albany Creek, on the south side of South Pine River, is 16 km north of Central Brisbane.

Albany Creek joins the river a few kilometres east of the township, and was originally known as Chinaman's Creek. The change of name to Albany Creek was made in 1885 at the request of local petitioners who stated that no 'Chinaman' lived there and apparently preferred the new name for sentimental reasons.

The first permanent settler in the area was James Cash. He built a hut near the South Pine River in 1849, and his name is remembered by Cash's Crossing where South Pine Road intersects with the river. Farm selections were taken up in the 1860s, beginning with timber cutting and mixed farming. Dairying later became the principal occupation. Chinamans Creek primary school was opened in 1874 (today Albany Creek State School), a Methodist church in about 1866 and a village store in about 1905. The cemetery (1873) is the resting place of several pioneer families.

Albany Creek remained a village until the 1960s, when metropolitan Brisbane expanded towards it. The population then doubled at about ten-yearly intervals.

Albany Creek has two State primary schools (Albany Creek 1874 and Albany Hills 1979), a State high school (1982), a Catholic primary school (1989), a leisure centre, and a swimming pool. There are a sub-regional shopping centre (1988) on Albany Creek Road and a Woolworths Market Place beside the high school in Old Northern Road. It has linear parks along South Pine River and two tributary creeks. Its census populations have been: