The 1999 Tour Down Under (known as the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under for sponsorship reasons) was the first edition of the Tour Down Under stage race. It took place from 19 to 24 January in and around Adelaide, South Australia. The race was a UCI 2.4-class race and featured teams from Australia and around the world. The race was won by Australian ride Stuart O'Grady, who rode for .
In 1993, it was announced that the Formula One Australian Grand Prix would move from Adelaide, South Australia, to Melbourne, Victoria, from the 1996 season. Following the loss of this major sporting event, the Government of South Australia worked to organise other major sporting events to replace the Grand Prix, including the Adelaide 500 and the Tour Down Under.
In 1999, the Tour Down Under was established as the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under. The original event concept was developed by a team led by 1984 Olympics 4000m team pursuit gold medallist Michael Turtur in conjunction with the Government of South Australia.