It was located in the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne.
It included the suburbs of Carlton and Fitzroy.
The Division was named after Rt Hon James Scullin, Prime Minister of Australia in 1929–32.
It was proclaimed at the redistribution of 10 August 1955, and was first contested at the 1955 Federal election.
After the 1968 redistribution and the 1969 Federal election, the Division of Darebin (which was located in Melbourne's northern suburbs) was renamed the Division of Scullin.