Playford was created as a safe Labor seat and was first contested at the 1970 election (when Tom Playford was still alive), where it was won by Labor candidate Terry McRae. At the 1989 election, McRae resigned from politics, with the seat won by Labor candidate John Quirke. Though typically a safe Labor seat, the seat technically became marginal, reduced to just a 2.7 percent two-party margin at the 1993 election landslide. At the 1997 election, Quirke resigned to enter the Australian Senate, with the seat won by Labor candidate Jack Snelling.
