Andrew Lang Petrie was born in Brisbane on 25 June 1854, the eldest son of John Petrie and Jane Keith (nee McNaught). He worked at the Customs Office for a number of years and in 1882 became the manager of John Petrie & Son, his father's building and contracting business. The firm had been established as Petrie & Son by his grandfather Andrew Petrie.
In the 1880s the business included cabinet making and joinery, brick-making, tile-making and monumental masonry. Due to the depression, the business experienced financial difficulties and insolvency proceedings commenced in early 1894. The business was eventually revived but focused solely on monumental masonry. Andrew Lang Petrie was a local councillor and from 1885 served on the Toombul Divisional Board and the Hamilton Divisonal Board for a number of years. From 1893 until 1926 was the member for Toombul in the Queensland Parliament. He was a member of the Brisbane General Cemetery Board, and was a director of several public and private institutions. He served on several Royal Commissions, including the Commission on Public Works appointed in 1900. He was married twice, first to Margaret (nee Aird) and secondly to Eliza Anne Agnes (nee Luya). There were four sons and one daughter from the two marriages. Andrew Lang Petrie died in 1928.