The town of Curramulka was surveyed in 1878. The name reputedly refers to 'emu' (curre) and 'deep waterhole' (mulka).
In the 1870s when new farming land was being sought further from Adelaide, pastoralists established sheep runs in the Yorke Peninsula. For some time the area was populated largely by the shepherds caring for these flocks. In August and September 1876 hundreds of people travelled by steamer from Adelaide to Stansbury, walking to Curramulka to view land being offered for sale in the first selections.
(Source: Jones, Alan. Curramulka, 1876-1975, Adelaide (S. Aust.) : AD Jones, 1975)