The area developed as a farming community in the 19th century, and grew significantly in the 1950s and 1960s after the Auckland Southern Motorway was constructed.

Papatoetoe means "grounds where toetoe grows", referring to species of Austroderia grasses that traditionally grew in the area.

[5] Some features of the Auckland volcanic field can be found around Papatoetoe, including Kohuora, a tuff ring that erupted an estimated 34,000 years ago,[8] becoming a wetland after the crater gradually filled with water and sediment,[5] and Crater Hill, which erupted an estimated 30,000 years ago.

[9][10] Papatoetoe is a flat area between the catchments of the Manukau Harbour in the west and the Tāmaki River to the north-east.

The area was forested before human occupation, and by the 1840s was covered in a mix of fern and scrub, including plants such as kānuka, mānuka and toetoe.

[11] Papatoetoe formed an important part of the Waokauri / Pūkaki portage, connecting the Manukau Harbour and Tāmaki River, and was often used by Tāmaki Māori to avoid the Te Tō Waka and Karetu portages, controlled by the people who lived at Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond.

[5]Compared to other parts of Tāmaki Makaurau (the Auckland Region), there are few fortified pā sites in Papatoetoe due to the flat land.

[14] The Waokauri / Pūkaki portage was actively used during the early colonial era until the 1860s, as a way to transport goods to Papatoetoe.

[6] In January 1836 missionary William Thomas Fairburn brokered a land sale between Tāmaki Māori chiefs, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero and Turia of Ngāti Te Rau, covering the majority of modern-day South Auckland between Ōtāhuhu and Papakura.

[15] In April 1851, the Tāmaki Bridge was constructed along the Great South Road, spurring growth in the Papatoetoe area.

[5] European settlers began settling in the area from the 1850s, primarily Scottish and Irish Presbyterians.

The area was sparsely populated, featuring large country houses such as Hillside, Puhi Nui and Papahinu.

During this time, the Te Ākitai Waiohua rangatira Īhaka Takaanini was arrested and died on Rakino Island.

[5] Housing estates began developing in Papatoetoe in the early 1900s, primarily to the east of the railway station.

[5] Papatoetoe became one of the fastest growing areas of Auckland in the 1920s, and a second commercial area began to develop in Papatoetoe, at the motor bus service terminus on Great South Road, near the Hunter's tearooms, which developed into Hunters Corner.

[5] During World War II, the Cambria Park estate was requisitioned by the Public Works Department, who constructed a military camp for 6,000 troops from the United States Army.

[6] Population growth had mostly ceased and remained stagnant throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, however a significant increase in population occurred after 2006 due to high rates of immigration and changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan allowing more intensive infill housing on large sections.

[19] Papatoetoe has the unofficial title of Auckland's Little India, with 40 percent of the suburb's population being of Indian ethnicity according to the 2018 census.

The plan envisaged new apartment buildings and nearby sports facilities bringing more business to the area, which had struggled due to competition from shopping malls.

[20] Hunter's Corner used to be a notorious area for prostitution in the early 2000s due to it being relatively safer compared to similar town centres in South Auckland, however prostitution has largely disappeared in recent times after strong opposition from local residents.

The Puhinui Station Interchange was upgraded in July 2021 to provide a rapid transit network to Auckland Airport, as well as forming a connection with Manukau.

The collection held includes a collation of information on Local Body members, schools as they developed, the origin and meaning of street names, women of the district (book available), people of the surrounding farming district, newspaper cuttings and information on local organisations.

The society has also developed an archive collection which includes photographs, books, booklets, plans and posters.