Rural land that was previously with the Timaru electorate was also absorbed.
[6] The electorate was rural and settlements included Mount Somers, Mount Cook Village, Albury, Burkes Pass, Fairlie, Kimbell, Lake Tekapo, Twizel, Geraldine, Pleasant Point, Kurow, and Waimate.
[8] In the 1977 electoral redistribution, South Canterbury was abolished.
[9] Rob Talbot had since the 1966 election been the representative of the Ashburton electorate for the National Party.
When the South Canterbury electorate was formed in 1969, he transferred to there.