The Municipality of Barkly East was constituted by Proclamation No 145 of 1881 in terms of provisions of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.

In 1994 Barkly East became part of the Eastern Cape Province. It forms part of the Senqu Local Municipality, one of three local municipalities that falls under the Joe Gqabi District Municipality.

The Resident Magistrate of Dordrecht (Wodehouse) was appointed on 23 August 1877 to hold a court at Barkly according to Proclamation No 88 published in Government Gazette No 5718 dated 24 August 1877 (For records of the Periodical Court see 1/DDT A1/1/1 in the Archives of the Magistrate of Dordrecht).

A magistrate’s court was established at Barkly on 10 December 1879 (Proclamation No 150 published in Government Gazette No 5975 dated 12 December 1879).