Kangarilla is a small rural town and locality around 33 km (21 mi) from Adelaide city centre, in South Australia.

The area, formerly inhabited by Kaurna people, was settled by Europeans in 1840, not long after the British colonisation of South Australia.

[4] Manning's Index reports that Norman Tindale thought that kanggarila may mean "birthplace", and that it was spelt "Kungirilla" in The South Australian on 17 March 1843.

A town was founded in 1849 by John Bottrill, and properly surveyed in 1860[9] on section 875 in the Hundred of Kuitpo, named Scaldwell.

[12][13][14] Kangarilla lay within the District Council of Willunga from 1853[15] until December 1997, when it became part of the newly created City of Onkaparinga.