The
Nauo were the indigenous people of the area of Minnipa prior to English colonisation and the area around the town was first settled by Europeans in 1878. At the arrival of the railway line on 5 May 1913, the town consisted of two tents. Development of the surrounding districts followed the railway, and accelerated after the opening of the water pipeline from the
Tod River scheme in 1925. By 1960, Minnipa was the major railway centre between
Cummins and
Thevenard. The town was proclaimed in 1915 and subsequently it became a typical wheatbelt town servicing the surrounding area and providing the necessary grain handling and rail facilities to allow farmers fast access to Thevenard and Port Lincoln. ==Climate==