The area is the traditional lands of the Turrbal clan of the Mianjin Australian Aboriginal people, who lived there long before British settlement. Corroborees were held at Sedgeley Park estate.
On 19 April 1890, auctioneers G. T. Bell offered 296 residential lots (mostly 16 perches) in Alderley Park Estate on Hall Street, Alderley Street and Wakefield Street with South Pine Road to the west. The estate was diagonally opposite the Alderley Arms Hotel. At the time of sale, the Ferny Grove railway line had not yet been built however the proposed railway route line is marked on the land sale advertisement. Hall Street now terminates at the Alderley railway station instead of continuing through to South Pine Road as it was in 1890.[5][6] At the auction, only 51 of the 296 lots were sold for an average price of £28/8/8 for a total of £1450.[7]
On 14 March 1914 ,auctioneers Isles, Love & Co offered 86 residential lots (mostly 16 perches) in the Green Hills Estate bounded by Lloyd Street to the north, Cole Street to the east and both sides of Elfreda Street.[8][9]
On 29 October 1921, auctioneers Blocksidge & Ferguson offered 232 residential allotments of 18 and 22 perches in the Smyth's Hill Estate bounded by Longsight Street to the north, Raymont Road to the south, Longsight Street to the west and Mornington Street to the east.[10][failed verification][11] (Mornington Street does not exist in this far south due to the subsequent development of Alderley Grove Park.)[12]
On 17 June 1922, auctioneers Cameron Bros offered 53 residential sites of mostly 16 perches in Hall Street, Alderley Avenue and Wakefield Streets.[13][14]
On 2 October 1937, auctioneers Isles, Love & Co offered 26 residential sites ranging from 24 to 31 perches in Section 2 of the Manwaring Estate on Goskar Avenue and Banks Road.[15][16]
In the 2011 census, Alderley recorded a population of 5,679 people, 51.1% female and 48.9% male.[22] The median age of the Alderley population was 33 years, 4 years below the national median of 37. 78.5% of people living in Alderley were born in Australia, compared to the national average of 69.8%; the next most common countries of birth were England 3.1%, New Zealand 2.7%, India 1.1%, Nepal 0.9%, South Africa 0.6%. 88.4% of people spoke only English at home; the next most popular languages were 1% Nepali, 0.8% Italian, 0.7% Spanish, 0.6% Korean, 0.5% Cantonese.[22]
In the 2016 census, Alderley had a population of 6,117 people.[23]
In the 2021 census, Alderley had a population of 6,748 people.[1]
Alderley has several warehouses, a police station and a community-based shopping complex that includes a supermarket. There are also a number of parks in the suburb:
^"Advertising". Brisbane. No. 5, 464. Queensland, Australia. 18 April 1890. p. 8. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"COMMERCIAL". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XLVI, no. 10, 067. Queensland, Australia. 21 April 1890. p. 3. Retrieved 27 August 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". Daily Standard. No. 390. Queensland, Australia. 14 March 1914. p. 8. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". The Brisbane Courier. No. 19, 898. Queensland, Australia. 29 October 1921. p. 10. Retrieved 27 August 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Advertising". The Courier-mail. No. 1276. Queensland, Australia. 2 October 1937. p. 24. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2019 – via National Library of Australia.