Originally created in 1984, the ward was initially within Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council before the local government reforms in the 1990s.
The ward was a Labour stronghold as the party successfully held the seat at every election.
In 2007, the ward was abolished and replaced by the multi-member Cumnock and New Cumnock ward as council elections moved to a proportional voting system – the single transferable vote – following the implementation of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.
[1] Following the Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1994, the ward's northern boundary was moved north to take in more of Holmhead.
In 1998, the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements mostly re-established the ward's original boundaries.