[5] The bay was named after the town of Sleaford in Lincolnshire, England by the British navigator, Matthew Flinders in 1802.

[10] In 2020, the site in the north of the bay near Sleaford Mere Conservation Park was ruled too costly.

[11] Most recently SA Water has decided to build within Proper Bay near Port Lincoln.

This is being resisted as consultation and native title research has not been completed and the decision goes against the advice of the local management board and it's findings.

An announcement that the initial Desalination plant size is projected to expand significantly in the future also creates uncertainty within the broad local community.