It extended from a junction at Hamley Bridge on the Roseworthy-Peterborough line (which provided connection through to Adelaide) through Balaklava and Brinkworth to Gladstone.

[2] It was extended north from Blyth to Gladstone on 2 July 1894 where it joined the Port Pirie-Cockburn and Wilmington lines.

All of these lines were prepared for conversion from narrow to broad gauge in the mid-1920s,[4] with the switch made on 1 August 1927.

In April 2017, the 10 km section between Halbury and Balaklava was converted into the Shamus Liptrot Cycling Trail.

It was developed in memory of Shamus Liptrot, a local cyclist who died in 2011 after suffering injuries from a cycling accident[9][self-published source][10] Aurizon does not list the line as being open or in use, but it is available for access.