Port Clinton was named by Governor Sir Dominck Daly after the town of Clinton in Canada where he had held the office of Chief Secretary.
The District Council of Clinton was proclaimed on 28th November, 1878.
The original Council Chambers were erected on Section 540 at Kainton.
In 1887 the District Councils of Clinton and Tiparra amalgamated and became the Clinton District Council. Because of the district extended now form Gulf to Gulf it was considered the township of Arthurton would be a better venue for Council meetings; consequently the Council Chambers were constructed there.
After the completion of the railway form Adelaide to Wallaroo in 1878 the jetty at Port Clinton fell into disuse and disrepair, but in its early days it was the shipping centre of farmers in the area. It was here where many of the miners for Moonta and Wallaroo were landed by ketch after their journey from Port Adelaide.
In 1900, James Barton discovered a deposit of phosphate rock about 1.6 kilometres (1 mile) to the west of Port Clinton on Yararoo Estate. The Government gave him a reward for finding it but the deposit was soon exhausted.
Between Port Clinton and Port Price large deposits of brown coal have been discovered. In 1923 drilling tests revealed an estimated 32 million tonnes lying at a depth of 89 metres (292 feet) in a 6.4 metre (21 feet) seam.
Since then further investigation has revealed that the deposit extends under the waters of St. Vincent Gulf and forms part of the deposit at Bowmans.
The plantations of native trees and shrubs seen growing by the side of the road were planted by citizen of Port Price, Eric Gianakos.
