The original site the South Australian Railways Workshops on five acres at Islington for the South Australian Railways Workshops was selected and building operations commenced in 1880. The workshops became the main construction and repair plant for the S.A.R. and were first opened for repair operations on rolling stock in 1884.
 
By 1907 the area occupied was forty seven and a half acres with seven and one quarter miles of railway line to facilitate the movement of work from one department to another to another . At that time over 900 people were employed at the workshops. Repairs to rolling stock were carried out as well as the manufacture of new carriages, goods and livestock vehicles. New locomotives were also designed and built at the plant.
 
In 1913 the points and crossing shop was transferred from Granville to Islington which added to the existing plant consisting of: stores, paint shop, car and wagon shop, saw mill, rolling mill, blacksmith's shop, boiler shop, metal machine shop and the locomotive erecting shop. In 1923,as part of the Railways Rehabilitation Scheme instituted by the then Chief Railways Commissioner, a re-organisation of the whole plant was commenced. This was completed in 1927 and enabled the whole of the locomotive department to be housed in one building for the construction and repair of freight and passenger cars. The South Australian Railways Workshops were transferred to the Commonwealth on 1 March 1978 and became known as the Australian National Railways Islington Workshops (CA6558).
Historical agency address
Churchhill Road, Kilburn SA

Minister responsible unregistered

1880-1965: South Australian Commissioner of Public Works
1965-1968: South Australian Department of Transport
1968-1973: South Australian Department of Roads and Transport
1973-1978: South Australian Department of Transport and Local
           Governement