In the late 1970s Monarto Junction (or "New Murray Town") was proposed to be the site of a new satellite city of Adelaide.

[3] The name of the hundred was after "Queen Monarto", an aboriginal woman (spouse of a tribal leader) who lived in the area at the time of its proclamation.

[4][5] Monarto South is adjacent to the main Adelaide to Wolseley line, with Monarto South station formerly a junction for the Sedan branch line running north on the plain between the Murray River and the Mount Lofty Ranges.

[citation needed] Due to the presence of mallee fowl in the vicinity the project had to go through several iterations to ensure that the environmental impact is minimized.

[citation needed] Completion of the project would create a heavy transport link from Langhorne Creek to the Barossa Valley.