Prior to
World War Two a number of local
Australian Rules football leagues existed around
Horsham. The clubs that played in Horsham Junior (District) Football League in 1934 were Green Park (which won the premiership), Adelphians, Horsham CYMS, Church of England, Longerenong, Pimpinio Reserves and Quantong. In 1935 the competition name was referred to as the Horsham District Football League, with the term "junior" meaning a "minor" league back in the 1930's. In 1944, the Horsham Junior Football Association was formed from the following clubs - Homing Club, Horsham Seniors, Horsham YCW, Kalkee, Laharum, Longerenong College and Wail, with Horsham YCW winning the premiership, with Wail winning the flag in 1945. The clubs that played in 1946
Horsham District Junior Football League were Kalkee (which won the premiership), Horsham Homers, Horsham RSL, Horsham YCW, Jung, Laharum, Longerenong College, Taylors Lake, Wail and Wonwondah. In 1982 the league expanded after the
West Wimmera Football League disbanded and five clubs joined: Goroke, Noradjuha, Douglas-Harrow-Miga Lake, Gerang - Kiata, and Netherby-Lorquon. This brought the total to sixteen clubs. Since then all of these West Wimmera clubs have gone into recess, and Imperials-Wonwondah moved to the
Wimmera Football League in 1983. In 1986 netball was introduced with Kalkee winning the first eight A grade premierships. Under 16 football commenced in 1998 with the demise of the Horsham District Junior Football League which included clubs from the HDFL and WFL. Under 13s was included the next year but the grades changed to under 17 in 2006 and under 14 in 2007. In 2000, after the folding of the
Ararat & District Football Association,
Stawell Swifts and Great Western joined the competition. Edenhope-Apsley joined from the
Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League in 2007. Natimuk and Horsham Diggers (
Wimmera Football League) voted on a merger for 2014 season and beyond under the banner of
Natimuk United Football Netball Club. The club wore the Natimuk jumper for home games and Horsham Diggers jumper for away games. They kept scheduling a match on Anzac Day. Swifts were premiers in 2014 after defeating the previously undefeated Laharum in the grand final. Laharum defeated Kalkee in the 2015 grand final. Jeparit-Rainbow transferred from the
Mallee Football League for the 2015 season. This caused the Mallee League to fold at the end of the 2015 season. Consequently, Hopetoun and Beulah merged to form the Southern Mallee Giants and transferred to the Horsham & District League in 2016. They dominated the competition for two seasons without losing a game before transferring to the Wimmera Football League. The league did not play any games in 2020 due to Victorian restrictions for the
COVID-19. Kaniva-Leeor United joined the Horsham & District League in 2020 from the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara League, as state border restrictions made it difficult for Kaniva, a Victorian club, to play in the South Australian league. 12 home and away matches were played in 2021, with the last match on the 14th August 2021; however, there were no finals due to the
COVID-19 lockdowns in August 2021. Jeparit Rainbow left the league at the end of 2023 after merging with the
Southern Mallee Giants in the
Wimmera Football Netball League, leaving the Horsham & District League with 11 clubs. ==Clubs==