The county covers the traditional lands of the Ngalakan, Marra, and Mangarayi peoples.

Main settlements in the County included Urapunga, Mataranka and Jilkminggan and Ngukurr.

[3] Like the other Counties of the Northern Territory, Gladstone is named for a British Prime Minister, in this case the County was named after William Ewart Gladstone.

Most of the Hundreds in the County are named after people and places associated with Gladstone.

The central part of the County was originally subdivided into Hundreds, but these have largely become redundant.