The Village Management Board of Bredasdorp was created by Proclamation No 155 of 1881 in terms of the provisions of the Village Management Act of 1881.

On 3 April 1917 the Village Management Board of Bredasdorp was dissolved. The first meeting of the Municipality of Bredasdorp, created under Proclamation 17 of 1917, took place on 10 April 1917.

On 22 September 2000 the Municipality of Bredasdorp together with the Bredasdorp Transitional Representative Council, Caledon Transitional Representative Council, Napier Transitional Council and Struisbaai Transitional Local Council were disestablished and the Cape Agulhas Local Municipality was established in terms of sections 12 and 14 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette No 5591 of 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 495 of 22 September 2000). The Cape Agulhas Local Municipality forms part of the larger Overberg District Municipality.

On 1 September 1855 the district of Bredasdorp was created and JH Hofmeyr appointed Resident Magistrate for the said district (Government Gazette No 2645 dated 7 September 1855). The magistrate held periodical courts at Napier and acted as gaoler, chief constable, deputy registrar of births and deaths and chairman of the liquor licensing court.

The Magistrate’s Office at Bredasdorp and all the records which were housed there at the time were destroyed by fire in December 1941 (File No K9/6/B8: Letter dated 14 October 1960 addressed to the Senior Archivist, Cape Town by the Magistrate, Bredasdorp). This presumably accounts for the gaps between 1902 – 1941 in the various series of archives.

The Divisional Council of Bredasdorp was established on 8 November 1858 in terms of Act No 5 of 1855.

On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of Bredasdorp was reconstituted together with the Divisional Council of Swellendam to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Bredasdorp-Swellendam (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061 dated 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174 dated 18 July 1979).