Rochedale (Brisbane City) and Rochedale South (Logan City) are between 12 and 18 km south-east of central Brisbane. Both were originally 'Rochedale', named after an early settler family (c1870). The name was given in about 1920 when a post office was opened.
Rochedale's farm lands were used for fruit and vegetable growing, particularly after bore water was first tapped in 1912. Local children attended the Eight Mile Plains School, but with the intensification of horticulture a school was required at Rochedale. Opened in 1931, the school was attended by 30 children, rising to 38 by the end of the year. Other schools in Rochedale (Brisbane area) are St Peter's Catholic School (1976), Redeemer Lutheran College (1980) and Rochedale High School (1983).
The urbanisation of Rochedale occurred in Albert Shire, south of the Brisbane City Municipal boundary, beginning in the mid-1960s. North of the municipal boundary Rochedale was kept as a green wedge, with productive farms, poultry holdings and a few public uses such as a drive-in cinema (1973) and schools and, controversially, one of Brisbane's five metropolitan refuse dump and transfer stations (1991). Rochedale South is entirely built up, with two primary schools (1974, 1979) and a drive-in shopping centre with a supermarket and 30 shops (1970). It has been in Logan City since that part of Albert Shire was absorbed by Logan in 1978. Rochedale South was gazetted as a place name in 1979.
The census populations have been:
| 1954 | 1986 | 1991 | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochedale | 735 | 1102 | 1290 | 1144 | 1172 | 1092 |
| Rochedale South | - | 14,948 | 16,520 | 15,013 | 14,928 | 14,996 |
Rochedale State School golden jubilee 1931-1981: the story of the school and the surrounding district, Rochedale, Rochedale State School, c1981
