It was proclaimed in 1876 by Governor Anthony Musgrave and was named for the Granville Leveson-Gower, the second Earl of Granville and the Secretary of State for the Colonies until a few years prior.

[1] Local government was first established in 1888 by the creation of the District Council of Carrieton, seated at the township of Carrieton on the county's southern border, and the District Council of Hawker, seated at the township of Hawker just north of the county's north-western extremity.

Carrieton council amalgamated with the southerly-adjacent District Council of Orroroo in 1997 to form the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton, which currently is the local government body in the county's southwest.

Hawker amalgamated with the southerly adjacent District Council of Kanyaka-Quorn to form the Flinders Ranges Council, which currently is the local government body in the county's northwest.

The County of Granville comprises the following seven constituent hundreds: