[6] The district has a rich history, as one of the earliest South Australian coastal settlements, and a wide range of agricultural activities having taken place.

[7] Aboriginal myth credits the formation of the land forms of the Fleurieu Peninsula to the travels of Tjilbruke as he grieved carrying the body of his nephew from the Sturt River to Cape Jervis.

Sheep, potatoes and wheat were the first produce, with a variety of other crops grown later, including milling and the extraction of tannins from wattle bark prevalent in the district.

The district has remained an important one to the State, transforming from the early days of European settlement as a vital connection for resources, to an integral part of South Australia's tourism interests and links between the mainland and Kangaroo Island.

[13] Tourism also plays a major role in the area, with its close proximity to Adelaide drawing large crowds to the seaside towns, especially during summer.

[15] Mount Hayfield is a significant Aboriginal site, known as Wateira nengal,[16] due to its connection with the Kaurna Dreaming story of the hero Tjilbruke.

Tim Moffat, Simon Rothwell, Wayne Gibbs, David Olsson, Bill Verwey, Glenn Rowlands, Lawrie Polomka