Aspley: Marchant Park, Aspley Hypermarket and Things to Do

Aspley is a northern Brisbane suburb about 20 minutes by car from the CBD, known for Marchant Park and the Aspley Hypermarket shopping centre. Marchant Park is a big heritage-listed park on Gympie Road with war memorial gates, a cricket pavilion and old trees, and the hypermarket is the suburb’s main shopping stop.

It is an everyday suburb rather than a tourist one, so it suits a park visit, a picnic or a shopping run more than a full day out.

Marchant Park

Marchant Park is at 1105 Gympie Road. Soft-drink maker George Marchant proposed donating his paddock to Kedron Shire Council as public parkland in 1917. The park officially opened in 1921, and it has been a local heritage place since 2003.

In World War I the paddock was a remount depot for the 2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment, and from 1940 it formed part of the Chermside Army Camp, used for training.

What you will see

• Kedron Shire War Memorial Gates: unveiled on 3 May 1924.
• Marchant Memorial: a granite monolith near the Murphy Road entrance, marking Marchant’s land donation.
• George Hastie Players Pavilion: a timber pavilion named after a founding member of the Warehouse Cricketers’ Association.

Aspley Hypermarket

Aspley Hypermarket Shopping Centre is at 59 Albany Creek Road. Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and Kmart are among its tenants, alongside Priceline Pharmacy, Specsavers, OPSM, EB Games and Anytime Fitness. It was built as a Pick ‘n Pay Hypermarket in 1984, and it has free WiFi. Everyday services include Australia Post, Suncorp, Flight Centre and a Justice of the Peace service, and the centre’s phone number is 07 3862 7222.

The centre lists its trading hours as Thursday 9 am to 9 pm, Monday to Wednesday and Friday 9 am to 5.30 pm, Saturday 9 am to 4 pm and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Individual stores keep their own hours, so check the store you are going to.

Shopping in Aspley

Aspley has two main shopping centres, the Aspley Hypermarket on Albany Creek Road and Aspley Village on Robinson Road. The Hypermarket alone has the big supermarkets, a pharmacy, optometrists, a gym and everyday services, so it is handy if you are running errands as well as having a day out.

Aspley Village Shopping Centre

Aspley Village is on Robinson Road. It opened in December 2008 and has undercover parking for about 470 cars.

Local history in Aspley

Beyond the park, Aspley has a few older landmarks. The Royal Exchange Hotel dates from 1875 and the Aspley Hotel from 1934, and the suburb was once the site of the Aspley Vineyard, which was established in the early 1870s. It makes a short history detour if you are already driving along Gympie Road.

Is Aspley worth a visit?

If you live nearby, yes: it is a handy park and a big shopping stop in the same trip. For visitors from further away, it is more of an add-on to a northside day than a destination of its own. Combine it with a visit to Chermside, the next northside stop.

Little Cabbage Tree Creek

The area around Aspley was once known as Little Cabbage Tree Creek, and the suburb is centred on that creek.

Planning your visit

• How long: an hour or two for the park, longer if you shop.
• Cost: free for the park; the shops are extra.
• Best time: shops are open daily, with late trading on Thursday; the park is open air, so pick a fine day.
• What to bring: water and sun protection for the park.

Getting to Aspley and parking

By car, Marchant Park is about 12.4 km from the Brisbane CBD and the Aspley Hypermarket about 13.8 km, both about 20 minutes without traffic. Plan a bus trip with the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.

The centre’s own site is aspleyhypermarket.com.au. Hours can change, so check before you go.

Nearby

• Chermside – another northside stop.
• Kalinga Park – a dog park, playground and bike paths.
• Nundah Farmers Markets – farmers markets on the north side.
• Brisbane Showgrounds – home of the Ekka.
• Bowen Hills – on the way back to the city.

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