Between 1873 and 1874 J.S.T. McGowen is involved in the iron trades’ strike.

Sydney’s second terminus, also called Redfern Station, opens in the same location as the first Redfern Station.

Between 1875 and 1891 J.S.T. McGowen works as a boilermaker, initially at Redfern Railway Workshops (Devonshire St) and later at Eveleigh.

The Eveleigh site is chosen for railway workshops development.

Following the establishment of the rail line in 1855, and the construction of Eveleigh Railway Workshops from 1875, Redfern was heavily subdivided and developed to provide workers’ housing.

The Work's Manager and Timekeeper's Office is erected.

Resumption of Eveleigh Railway Workshops site (Chisholm's Estate) commences.

The first Eveleigh Station (sometimes described as Eveleigh Platform) opens approximately 1.3 km west of the original terminus and in the approximate location of the current Illawarra train dive.

A temporary tramline is built from Redfern Street, along Elizabeth Street to Hunter Street for the Garden Palace International Exhibition. The steam tram begins running.

Parliament agrees on a price for Chisholm’s Estate of £100,000.

Prior to the 1880s railway employees formed benefit societies to help deal with accidents and deaths at work.

The Chisholm Estate is exchanged and made available for railway purposes.

Parliament agrees the £250,000 cost for Eveleigh Railway Workshops construction.

Golden Grove Estate, formerly Hutchinson's grant, north of Eveleigh is subdivided for small allotments, mostly 'workers dwellings'. The major phase of building occurs between 1888 and 1893.

During 1882 to 1887 the principal workshops are built at Eveleigh.

Railway Commissioner Charles Goodchap promotes first aid training and an ambulance corps is formed three years later.

Redfern Railway Terminus becomes the first place in Sydney permanently lit by electricity.

Eveleigh Railway Workshops building program commences.

First trade union action occurs at Redfern Railway Workshops, when the Boilermakers Union claims overtime. In Australia during the 1850s skilled workers in Sydney and Melbourne generally worked a 58 hour week: 10 hours per day Monday to Friday and 8 hours on Saturday.

The Triple-domed Eveleigh Running Sheds are completed.

The second Eveleigh Station (and fourth station built in Redfern) is opened to service the Eveleigh Railway Workshops. It remains to this day Redfern Station, renamed when Central was opened in 1906. The opening in 1884 was due to the need to have a junction and change station between the Main West and the Illawarra lines. The amplification of Redfern Station in 1891, 1912, 1922 and 1979 was a result of increases in the number of tracks passing through the station.

The surviving hydraulic system at Eveleigh is installed, a year before the workshops open, making it the oldest system of its kind in Australia.

All-grades Railway and Tramway Union forms to fight against the abolition of breakfast breaks and management's withdrawal of free railway passes.

Eveleigh men mobilise towards the establishment of the eight-hour day.

Australian Railway and Tramway Service Association (ARTSA) is established by two porters who realise unskilled workers, like signalmen and guards, have issues which could be better resolved by a unified approach.

Locomotive Workshops are completed.

Carriage Workshops completed.

Manager’s Office completed.

Paint Shop completed.

Chief Mechanical Engineer's Office completed.

Eveleigh Railway Workshops complex at Redfern is completed.

The Blacksmith's Shop is erected.

The Railway Institute is set up in the north-east corner of the original Sydney yard.

The Labour Electoral League (Labor Party) is established by the Trades and Labour Council.

J.S.T. McGowen wins a seat in Redfern. McGowen continues to represent Redfern in NSW parliament until 1917.