Amberley

The area around Amberley originated as farming property, especially dairying. Called Three Mile Creek, it was better known locally as 'The Sandridge', being notorious for bogging horse-drawn vehicles and bullock teams in the sand.

One of the early settlers was Darby McGrath, who opened the first school in 1861 on Willowbank, his sheep and cattle station. In the following year, a small building was erected on the same site for 41 children attending the Warrill Creek School, the easterly area having taken this name from the creek.

During the later 1800s Warrill Creek produced cotton, sheep and cattle for the Brisbane market.

A Congregational chapel was also opened in 1878.

In 1888 the school was shifted to the' Sandridge where it remained for many years Amberley, as the area was officially renamed in 1903, derived from the farm of James and Martha Collett, who arrived at Ipswich in the 1850s. Their dairying selection was about two miles from the War Memorial towards Rosewood on the left side of Old Toowoomba Road. Like many pioneers they named the property after their home town, in this case in West Sussex.

The site of the Amberley RAAF Base was called Jebropilly by the Aborigines, meaning 'swamp of the flying squirrel'. Though the Defence Department bought 900 acres (320 hectares) in December 1938, just before the beginning of the Second World War, the base did not commence operations until June 1940 with the arrival of Station Headquarters and No 24 Squadron. As the war progressed the area was increased to 1300 acres (520 hectares) and the facilities were expanded to make Amberley a major base for aircraft assembly, repair and salvage. New huts, hangars and barracks were built to house over 2000 airmen of the RAAF strikeforce. Willowbank nearby was used as an officers' clubhouse by the US Airforce.