chronology of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops

NSW Heritage Office, From Steam Trains to Silicon Chips 1998

1855
Railroads nationalised by government after private rail companies fail

1882
Land cleared & construction begins for Eveleigh Rail Sheds

1887
Construction completed on original buildings

1892
Union negotiations lead to Workshops being closed on Sundays

1899
Large Erecting Workshop built (now home of 3801)

1907
New Locomotive Shop (now National Innovation Centre) built, to allow construction of new locomotive engines on site

1908
1st locomotive built on site

1910
Union negotiations result in installation of indoor toilets

1916
Munitions manufacture begins for WWI (artillery shells), but is discontinued

8 hour day instituted

1917
"General Strike" begins at Eveleigh with 3 000 workers. Eventually involves 97 500 workers across Australia

1925
New locomotive production ceases in Workshops.

Jack Lang elected state Premier, outlaws the management practices which led to the Great Strike

1937
Chullora Railway Workshops open – most repair work moves there

1939
Showers installed for workers

1940-45
Munitions manufacture for WWI (primarily artillery shells, later tanks)

Women employed on munitions assembly lines

1950s
Switch to diesel necessitates a major technological change at Eveleigh

1965
Use of steam trains ceases

1988
Loco Workshops close

1989
Paddy's Markets temporarily moves into Loco Workshops

Historic machinery relocated to Bays 1-4A

1991
Creation of Australian Technology Park announced

1995
National Innovation Centre opens in former New Locomotive Workshop

Work begins on Loco Workshop

1997
Conservator hired for historic machinery in Loco Workshops

1998
Loco Workshops opened as the Australian Technology Park in Bays 3 to 16 of former Loco Workshop.

Bays 1 & 2 kept as industrial museum

reproduced with permission of the NSW Heritage Office