The Divisional Council of Knysna was constituted on 21 July 1862 in terms of Proclamation No 47 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 3379 dated 22 July 1862).
On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of Knysna was reconstituted together with the Divisional Councils of George and Mossel Bay to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Outeniqua (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061, 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174, 18 July 1979).
On 31 March 1989 portions of the Divisional Council Areas of Outeniqua and Langeberg were established as the South Cape Regional Services Council (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Gazette No 4580 of 31 March 1989, Provincial Notice No 332 of 31 March 1989). In terms of Proclamation No 152 of 15 December 1995 (Establishment of Rural Local Government Structures) the South Cape Regional Services Council was disestablished and replaced by the South Cape District Council (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5004 of 15 December 1995).
In terms of Proclamation No 152 of 15 December 1995 (Establishment of Rural Local Government Structures) the South Cape Regional Services Council was disestablished and replaced by the South Cape District Council (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5004 of 15 December 1995).
On 22 September 2000 the South Cape District Council, Klein Karoo District Council and various other councils were disestablished and the Garden Route/Klein Karoo (later Eden, then Garden Route) District Municipality was established in terms of sections 12 and 14 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 1998 (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette No 5592 of 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 497 of 22 September 2000).
On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Councils of George, Knysna and Mossel Bay were re-constituted together to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Outeniqua.
The following local areas committees were instituted: Boggomsbaai, Brenton, Buffels Bay, Herolds Bay, Hoekwil, Keurboomstrand, Little Brak River, Nature’s Valley, Reebok, Tergniet, Wilderness, Wilderness Heights and Wittedrift.
On 31 March 1989 portions of the Divisional Council Areas of Outeniqua and Langeberg were established as the South Cape Regional Services Council. The other portions of the Divisional Council Areas of Outeniqua and Langeberg together with the Divisional Council Area of Klein Karoo-Langkloof were established as the Klein Karoo Regional Services Council.
The Municipality of Knysna was constituted on 12 October 1881 under provision of proclamation No 169 in terms of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Municipality of Knysna, Sedgefield Transitional Local Council, Belvidere Estate Transitional Local Council, Brenton Transitional Local Council, Knoetzie Transitional Local Council, Outeniqua Transitional Representative Council and Rheenendal Transitional Local Council was disestablished and the Knysna Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5592, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 504, 22 September 2000). The Knysna Local Municipality forms part of the larger Garden Route (formerly Eden) District Municipality.
