One of the oldest towns in South Australia, Old Noarlunga was first laid out for residential living and land sale in 1840 with blocks selling for four shillings a foot. The estimated Noarlunga area population at that time was some hundred and fifty people with forty houses being built and today has approximately six hundred and fifty homes and businesses.

Originally used as a market town, with the first cattle and produce sales opened by the South Australian governor in 1841. The Kaurna people were the original settlers of the area before settlement by Europeans and both burial grounds and history of these times are well recorded by the descendants. The main thoroughfare of the town was used until the mid 1970's as the main road to Willunga and Victor Harbor until the South Road bypass was built. This returned the town to having a country feel and ambience.

 The Onkaparinga River winds its way through the town. Once twenty foot deep, but now a trickle, it was used to provide passage from the town to Port Noarlunga and to the sailing ships at anchor.

The Mill was opened in 1844 and was the first in Australia to be steam driven by a plant imported from Glasgow in the UK. Many of the existing houses range from the original settlement of 1838 through to fine examples of early Victorian and early 1900's designs. The Horseshoe Inn (burnt down in 1995) was fundamental in opening up the peninsula to settlement and was the original post office and staging coach station. The site now is a small park with the history and information boards displayed. The ford crossing is no longer used as it was for the stage coaches from Mclaren vale in the 1800's and a swing bridge (built in 1989) now gives access to the Onkaparinga National Park.

 The church of Phillip and St. James, built in 1851 from locally excavated stone, sits overlooking the town and has a graveyard that gives an understanding of the hardships encountered in the early days of settlement.