Ashley has a flag railway station on the northern line of railway, and is twenty-two miles distant from Christchurch. The station is 120 feet above the sea level. There is a hotel, post office, store, and blacksmith's shop in the settlement, which had a population of 202 at the census of 1901. Ashley is only two miles from Rangiora, and is in the Kowai riding of the Ashley county. The district is devoted to agriculture, and to sheep breeding and dairy farming.

Mr. R. Meredith, whe represented Ashley in the House of Representatives, was born in County Carlow, Ireland, in 1843. He was educated at the Tullow public school, and was a schoolmaster for a few years before he came to the Colony in 1863 in the ship “Accrington,” and followed the same profession after his arrival, teaching in several schools in Canterbury until he retired in 1889 to his farm on the Moeraki Downs. In 1890, in response to a numerously-signed requisition, he contested the Ashley seat against the late Mr. J. D. Lance and Mr. J. Knight, and was returned with a majority of thirty-two votes. He again contested the seat in 1893, defeating his opponents, Mr. D. McFarlane and Mr. David Dick, by 500 votes. In 1896 he congested the seat, for the third time, against Mr. Reece and Mr. G. Renner, and was successful over the former by 370 votes. At the election of 1899 he polled 1943 votes to the opposing candidate's 1192. He stood fo the new electorate of Hurunui at the general election of November, 1902, and was third at the poll with 835 votes, the successful candidate, Mr. A. W. Rutherford, obtaining 1577 votes. Mr. Meredith is a total abstainer, and lends his influence to the temperance cause. He was sessionally elected chairman of the M to Z Public Petitions Committee of the House for many years. In 1889 he was elected a member of the North Canterbury Board of Education, and was chairman of that body in 1892, and was appointed a member of the Canterbury Land Board in 1891. He was married in 1867 to Miss Louisa Willis, page 518 eldest daughter of Mr. James Willis, proprietor of the “Canterbury Standard,” and has four sons and five daughters.

The Church Of St. Simon And Jude, at Ashley, was built in 1875. It is of wood and shingles, and has accommodation for 120 worshippers. Two services are held every Sunday. The Sunday school is attended by thirty scholars under three teachers, and a branch Sunday school is held at Sea View, the residence of Mr. George Bowron, a lay reader.

The Wesleyan Methodist Church, Ashley, was built in 1884 by the United Methodist Free Church. It is situated on a section of half an acre. The building is of wood, and has seating accommodation for eighty adults. Services are conducted by the ministers of the Rangiora circuit.