It consists of a largely rural region along the Gulf St Vincent, covering a total area of approximately 926 km2.

Originally the land was inhabited by the Kaurna people whose territory extended in a narrow corridor along the eastern shore of Gulf St Vincent; Cape Jervis to Port Wakefield; inland to near Crystal Brook, Snowtown, Blyth, Hoyleton, Hamley Bridge, Clarendon, Gawler, and Myponga; from the east side of the Hummock Range to Red Hill.

Throughout the district large tracts of surveyed land were allotted to pastoralists who farmed mostly grain and sheep.

The principal industries were agriculture and salt mining with the former consisting of market gardening in the vicinity of the Gawler River with the remainder of the district being used for cereal growing, stock grazing and dairying, and with the latter being concerned with salt extraction via evaporation at sites along the coastline.

[13] On 9 December 2021 a Government Gazette announced that a review of the Adelaide Plains Council's composition and elector representation arrangements had occurred and been certified, the following arrangements took effect from polling day of the periodic Local Government Elections held in November 2022.