[2] The Murray Shire region was developed in the 1840s by squatters following the route of the overlanders as they drove cattle from Sydney to Adelaide in the late 1830s.

The settlements of Moama and Mathoura survived over the years as centres for the movement of agriculture produce and the growth of the timber industry.

The Cadell Fault, which changed the course of the Murray River about 30,000 years ago traverses the area from north to south.

[citation needed] A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the Murray Shire merge with the Wakool Shire to form a new council with an area of 11,865 square kilometres (4,581 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 11,500.

[4] Prior to its dissolution, the Murray Shire Council was composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as a single ward.