Renmark Paringa Council: History
The earliest inhabitants of the district area were the Naralte aboriginal people, who lived on the food provided by the river and surrounding areas. The word 'Renmark' is thought to be derived from the Naralte word for 'red mud'.
The first European to explore the district was Captain Charles Sturt who rowed a whale boat down the Murrumbidgee in 1829, searching for Australia's 'inland sea' and reached the junction with the Murray River on 14 January 1830.
The Canadian Chaffey brothers are honoured as founders of Renmark, and were invited to Australia to create an irrigation colony at Mildura. After delays in the Mildura project, an agreement for the establishment of an irrigation colony at Renmark was signed in 1887. Vineyards and fruit blocks slowly emerged throughout the district, sealing the fate of the district as a fruit and wine growing region.
In 1893, the ‘Renmark Irrigation Trust’ was established to provide water to the growers. In the early years, the Trust also played the primary role in the administration and governing of the settlement.
The 'Town of Renmark' and the 'District Council of Paringa' were established not long after.
The Renmark Paringa Council came into existence on 1 July 1996 with the amalgamation of the District Council of Paringa and the Town of Renmark.