It is a small sea-side suburb, with a population of 2,918 (2016 census),[9] about 30 kilometres (19 miles) to the south of the Adelaide city centre and was originally created as a sea port.

It is known as Tainbarang[10] or Tainbarilla[11] by the traditional owners, the Kaurna people, and is of significance as being the site of a freshwater spring said to be created by the tears of Tjilbruke, the creator being.

[11] The first record of the area was provided by Captain Collet Barker who explored the Onkaparinga River on 15 April 1831 in his search for a Gulf outlet from Lake Alexandrina.

In early 1837, while camped by the Sturt River near Marion, South Australia's only two horses slipped their tether ropes during the night and the overseer of stock, C.W.

Taking a botanist to record the plants encountered, the expedition searched much of present-day Noarlunga before finding the horses near the Onkaparinga River.

In June 1837, Colonel William Light led an overland expedition to arrest whalers who had been abducting native women at Encounter Bay, 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Adelaide.

[15] In the early 20th century Port Noarlunga was a popular coastal holiday destination, with the beach proving an attraction with its natural beauty and in summer amusement fairs were run, as well as row boating on the river estuary.

[citation needed] There is a stone cairn with commemorative plaque in the Tutu Wirra Reserve to mark a place near the second freshwater spring created by Kaurna ancestor hero Tjilbruke in his journey down the coast.

[23] Interest was expressed in repairing or replacing the jetty during the 1910s, but work did not commence until the conclusion of World War I due to difficulties obtaining government funding.

In November 2018, the stairs at the reef end of the jetty were dislodged from the main structure by strong winds and wave energy during a storm.

[citation needed] Port Noarlunga Reef is regarded as one of South Australia's best snorkeling sites[28] and is popular with underwater photographers.

[29] It is a narrow reef about 400 metres (1,300 feet) offshore and about 1.6 kilometres (0.99 miles) long and was formed from a consolidated Pleistocene sand dune.

Fishing activity is limited to the use of rod and handline while the use of 'hand nets for the taking of shrimps for bait only' is permitted in estuary and the Onkaparinga River.

Lumb lies in 20 metres of water 2.5 km west of the Port Noarlunga jetty, with the MV Seawolf is located slightly to the south east of her.

The program runs in the first and last school terms each year and provides the opportunity to try waveskiing, canoeing, fishing, snorkelling, sailing, swimming and sailboarding.

The Encounter Marine Park and the Port Noarlunga Reef Aquatic Reserve both occupy land within the intertidal zone of the suburb along the coastline with Gulf St Vincent and the Onkaparinga River.