On 17 October 1860 the division of Namaqualand was subdivided into six districts for Divisional Council purposes (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 3189 dated 19 October 1860, Proclamation No 59 dated 17 October 1860). The first meeting of the council was held on 19 February 1861 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 3218 dated 29 January 1861, Notice dated 19 January 1861).

On 1 July 1989 the divisional council area of Namaqualand was reconstituted as the Namaqualand Regional Services Council (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4580 dated 31 March 1989, Provincial Notice No 339 dated 31 March 1989).

In 1855 it was decided to establish a magistracy at the missionary station Kamaggas, formerly part of the district of Clanwilliam. The new district, of which the boundaries were defined, was called Namaqualand. The seat of magistracy was, however, established on the farm of Philips and King, Springbokfontein. Although still part of the division of Clanwilliam, the resident magistrate acted as civil commissioner within the limits of Namaqualand up to 1856 when Namaqualand was constituted an independent division for fiscal purposes. The magisterial district’s boundaries, which were also to be the boundaries of the division, were also altered.

In 1917 a periodical court in the district of Namaqualand was established at Bowesdorp and moved to Kamieskroon in 1929.

Another periodical court in the district was established at Wallekraal in 1931 with jurisdiction within specified limits.

Magistrates of Namaqualand, 1855 – 1960
JC Rivers (1855 – 1858)
WH Auret (1858 – 1859)
L Anthing (1859 – 1862)
EA Judge (1862 – 1868)
L Boyes (1869 – 1878)
PJ de Smidt (1878 – 1879)
JT Eustace (1879 – 1890)
WC Scully (1891 – 1892)
HM Blakeway (1893 – 1897)
JD Hugo (1897 – 1898)
JB van Renen (1898 – 1902)
J Herbst (1902 – 1903)
WM Eustace (1903 – 1905)
W Magennis (1905 – 1909)
MM Basson (1909)
DC Giddy (1910 – 1915)
AW Preston (1915 – 1917)
G v R Philpott (1917 – 1920)
PA Garcia (1920 – 1923)
JA Verschuur (1923 – 1924)
JG Freislich (1925 – 1928)
MJ Streak (1929 – 1930)
WS Anderson (1931 – 1932)
SH Elliot (1933 – 1934)
CD Stanier (1935 – 1937)
WVD Cellaruis (1938 – 1939)
JT Fritz (1940)
NB Arbuthnot (1941 – 1943)
CJ Jooste (1944 – 1950)
RN Fuller (1951 – 1953)
JC Cooper (1954 - 1960)