It was proclaimed on 23 August 1877, comprising the cadastral Hundred of Finniss, "situated between the eastern fringe of the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Murray River.
It expanded in January 1888 under the District Councils Act 1887, gaining the Hundred of Younghusband on the eastern bank of the Murray River; it also gained the northern section of the adjacent Hundred of Burdett in the same year.
It was heavily involved in measures to deal with flooding on a number of occasions, and operated special boat services during the 1956 Murray River flood while the ferries were out of operation.
In the second half of the twentieth century, it also developed a caravan park, recreation reserve, community centre and dental clinic at Mannum.
Agricultural machinery manufacturer Horwood Bagshaw (formerly David Shearer Limited) was the largest employer in the district.