Port Lincoln, in South Australia was named by Captain Matthew
Flinders after his native Lincolnshire. It has become a large commercial centre and leading tourist resort.
 
To enable the development of large tracts of country on the Eyre Peninsula, a start was made early in the present century to build railways from Port Lincoln. In 1857 the first jetty was built at Port Lincoln to facilitate the coastal shipping of agricultural products to Port Adelaide for transfer to larger overseas vessels. To coincide with the construction of the railway from Port Lincoln to Cummins a new jetty was built at Kirton Point in 1906, thus allowing overseas ships to use the harbour. Port Lincoln assumed a new importance in the area with goods no longer being sent overseas via Port Adelaide. On March 2nd 1909, the "Emilies Grant" was the first vessel to lift a cargo of grain for overseas from Port Lincoln. The railway to Cummins was opened on 18 November 1907, a distance of 42 miles. By 1913 the line had reached Kimba while another was built northwards from Cummins through Yeelara, eventually reaching Thevenard on the Great Australian Bight, 269 miles from Port Lincoln. This line was opened on 9 October 1914. By the mid 1960's with the traffic potential of the gypsum deposits being realised it was decided to construct a new 37 mile line leaving the Thevenard line one and quarter miles south of Ceduna and running direct to Kevin. This line was opened on 13 February 1966 to handle the expected increase in traffic through the Port Lincoln Division.  

A major component of the work of the railways at Port Lincoln is the transport of grain. The terminal silos at Port Lincoln, together with those at Port Adelaide are the largest in the state.
 
The transition from steam to diesel electric traction in the Division was made gradually from 1962 onwards. When the railway to Cummins was opened in 1907,limited facilities were already availavle at Port Lincoln for the repair of engines and rollingstock. Larger workshops were needed as the line was extended and the locomotive depot was moved to Cummins in 1914.
 
As the railway evolved,it was realized that Port Lincoln was the most suitable place for the workshops and from 1928 to 1931 the roundhouse at Port Lincoln was built and the depot was moved back to Port Lincoln. The railway workshops at Port Lincoln maintained all the locomotives and rollingstock used on the system as well as rebuilding many of the older goods waggons.
 
Passenger services were first introduced in 1931,with rolling stock converted to narrow gauge at the Islington Workshops. The Minister of Transport, announced the Government's plan to rationalize state rail services and proposed that passenger services on the Port Lincoln Division be abandoned and not replaced by any Government sponsored alternative service. Passenger services were cancelled in August 1968. All mainline train movements for the Port Lincoln Division are the responsibility of the Train Control section at Port Lincoln.
 
The first Resident Engineer of the Port Lincoln Division was J.D. Somerville, who occupied the position from September 1906 to May 1909. The position was redesignated Railway Superintendent in 1919 and Area Manager in 1981. Assistant Superintendent, Draftsmen, Works Foremen and Station Master at Port Lincoln were responsible to the Area Manager. The first Station Master at Port Lincoln was M.D. Brewer who commenced duties in November 1907.
 

SOURCES

"The West Coast Wander", 1976 by Kim Bird
Historical agency address
Port Lincoln SA