It is named for the town of Eden and the Monaro district of southern New South Wales.

Its boundaries have changed very little throughout its history, including the towns of Yass, Bega and Cooma and the city of Queanbeyan.

Liberal incumbent Peter Hendy was defeated by Labor's Mike Kelly at the 2016 election.

Kelly's 2016 victory made him the seat's first opposition MP elected since 1969; it was also the first time since then that the non-Labor parties had been in government without holding Eden-Monaro.

[2] Labor’s Kristy McBain became the first woman to represent the division when she narrowly held the seat in the 2020 Eden-Monaro by-election.