Many sections of Great South Road were constructed on ara hīkoi; traditional walking paths used by Tāmaki Māori.

[3] The road was constructed by British Army troops, including Dominic Jacotin Gamble, and provided a flow of supplies for the Waikato campaign.

[4] Queen's Redoubt at Pōkeno was a major base of operations for soldiers working on constructing the road.

[2] After the wars, more peaceful uses predominated, and the road became the main social and commercial link to the growing agricultural areas south of Auckland.

Leaving the urban sprawl, it heads south through Drury before terminating at Mill Road in Bombay and merging with the Waikato Expressway.