Much of the suburb was previously known as The Levels, a sheep breeding establishment founded by artist and pastoralist Edward John Pitts around 1876,[3] and also a campus of the University of South Australia.

In 1998, Delfin (later acquired by, and subsumed into, Lendlease) entered into a partnership with the Government of South Australia and the City of Salisbury to redevelop most of the area into a mixed-use, largely self-contained suburb featuring housing, retail, commercial and education precincts.

[6] The Mawson Lakes residential development focuses on several distinct "villages",[7] each with their own identity and physical location within the suburb.

Homes along the lakefront within "The Peninsula" village, for instance, are predominantly two-storey and have wider frontages to take advantage of lake views.

Meanwhile, Mawson Central consists almost exclusively of apartments to reflect the denser, mid-rise character of the business district.

[8] Delfin/Lendlease also used encumbrances to control and influence the design and appearance of other South Australian urban developments they led, including West Lakes, Golden Grove, and later, Blakes Crossing.

From there, stormwater from the Salisbury wetlands is added to the mix before it is treated up to "Class A" standard recycled water for use on public reserves, and for irrigation and toilets in each home in Mawson Lakes.

[15] The City of Salisbury conducts a cross connection audit for all residences once every five years, with a self-audit kit available from its website.

[17] Mawson Lakes is a part of the federal division of Makin, which has been represented by Labor MP Tony Zappia since 2007, and was a part of the state electoral district of Port Adelaide, which has been represented by State Labor MP and Minister for Education and Child Development and Minister for Higher Education and Skills Susan Close since 2012.