[1] It was the outcome of late 1870s agitation by commercial interests, in particular West Moreton coal owners, for a link from the Ipswich line to deep water anchorage at South Brisbane.

As approved by Queensland Parliament in 1881, the principal railyards were to be established at the water reserve at Woolloongabba, with a passenger line extension along Stanley Street terminating opposite the South Brisbane Dry Dock.

[1] The contract for the main line to Stanley Street was let to Gilliver & Wockner in January 1882, but by May they were unable to continue the work and construction was taken over by the Railways Department.

[1] The South Brisbane line, coal wharf and sidings were opened on 2 June 1884, with passenger trains departing from the Stanley Street terminus three times daily except Sundays.

[1] In 1894 parliament authorised the extension of the dry dock siding as far as the Victoria Bridge, to service the wharves and commercial enterprises along the river bank at South Brisbane.

[1] The wharves extension served a host of major businesses until late 1969, by which time the demise of South Brisbane as a commercial and port facility forced its closure.