Little River, Victoria

This article is about the township near Geelong. For the river in same area, see Little River (Greater Geelong).
For other uses, see Little River.

Little River
Victoria
Little River Railway Station
Little River is located in Melbourne
Little River
Little River
Map
Coordinates37°55′59″S 144°30′00″E / 37.933°S 144.500°E / -37.933; 144.500
Population1,353 (2021 census)[1]
Established1840
Postcode(s)3211
Elevation22 m (72 ft)
Location
LGA(s)
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)
Localities around Little River:
Balliang Quandong Mambourin
Anakie Little River Werribee
Anakie Lara Point Wilson and Cocoroc

Little River is a town in Victoria, Australia, approximately 44 kilometres (27 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Greater Geelong and Wyndham local government areas. Little River recorded a population of 1,353 at the 2021 census.[1]

History

Aboriginal history

In the vicinity of Mount Rothwell, near Little River, a semi-circular Aboriginal stone arrangement now known as Wurdi Youang and believed to have been built by the local Wadawurrung people, was discovered and in 2011 described by an astrophysicist from the CSIRO as accurately indicating the setting sun during the solstices and equinox. Although the age is unknown, it could range from 200 to 30,000 years.[2]

Early settlement

The Little River has headwaters in the nearby Brisbane Ranges. It was also known as the Cocoroc Rivulet,[3][4] Cocoroc being a locality near the area. Where the road from Melbourne to Geelong crossed Little River, the Travellers Rest Inn was opened there in about 1839.[5]

It had been one of the Port Phillip Association's pastoral runs (the first occupier being James Simpson), and later a large part of the district was included in the Chirnside Estate centred on Werribee. Early on small farmers had the benefit of an 80 square kilometres (31 sq mi) common for grazing.

Many of the early settlers of the region were Scottish Gaelic-speaking immigrants from Lochaber and Moidart, who had been evicted by Ranald George Macdonald, 19th Chief of Clanranald, during the Highland Clearances and Highland Potato Famine. The bulk of them, whose passage to Australia was aided by the Highland and Island Emigration Society, arrived at Port Phillip in 1852. They were eventually joined at Little River in 1857 by their former parish priest from Fort William, Fr Ranald Rankin (c.1786-1863), who is best known as the author of the Scottish Gaelic Christmas carol Tàladh Chrìosda ("The Christ Child's Lullaby").[6] According to John Watts, Little River and Belmont were the main population centers of Roman Catholic Gaels from Moidart.[7] Writing during the 1880s, Fr Charles Macdonald commented ruefully that at least some of these Scottish Australians, who were immigrants from a Scottish region with a long history of smuggling, illegal whiskey distilling, and cattle raiding and who had often, "left the old county against their will", continued these same practices in the Australian frontier.[8]

The Post Office opened on 1 February 1858.[9]

The railway line through the town was opened in 1857,[10] as part of the line to Geelong. The local railway station is served by V/Line passenger services on the Geelong line.

Heritage sites

Little River contains a number of heritage listed sites, including:

Today

The township has a petrol station and post office, a primary school, a kindergarten, a pub, a bed and breakfast, a park, two playgrounds, a train station, a cricket ground and several churches. Visitors from Melbourne pass through the town on the way to the You Yangs Regional Park and the Mount Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre.

Australian rock band Little River Band is named after Little River after seeing the name on a road sign on their way to a gig in Geelong.[15]

Film-making location

Some scenes for the Australian television series We Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the Year and Angry Boys were filmed at Little River, although it was referred to as the fictional town of 'Dunt'. Little River also featured in filming the movie Mad Max, starring Mel Gibson, with Little River Road being used as the movie's infamous "Highway 9".

Some parts of Little River and surrounding areas were filmed in the Australian television drama series, Blue Heelers. Also, some scenes from the 2003 Australian Western film, Ned Kelly were shot in the nearby You Yangs.[citation needed]

Little River, and surrounding areas, also featured in the filming of the 2015 comedy-drama The Dressmaker, starring Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, and Judy Davis.

Census populations

Little River, Victoria
Year Population Source(s)
1861 4
1871 121
1911 294
1954 358
1966 191
2001 353 [16]
2006 1,744 [17]
2011 1,393 [18]
2016 1,322 [19]
2021 1,353 [1]

See also

  • City of Werribee – Parts of Little River were previously within this former local government area.
  • Shire of Corio – Parts of Little River were previously within this former local government area.

References

  1. ^ a b c "2021 Census QuickStats Little River". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  2. ^ Wurdi Youang rocks could prove Aborigines were first astronomers, Andrew Carswell and Robert Cockburn, The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 5 February 2011
  3. ^ Victorian Places (2015). "Little River". victorianplaces.com.au. Monash University; The University of Queensland. The Vic Places project is a joint initiative of Monash University and the University of Queensland. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  4. ^ Bustout. "Little River".
  5. ^ Little River Historical Society: A Brief History of Little River
  6. ^ Macdonald (2011), Moidart: Among the Clanranalds, Birlinn Limited. Pages 218-219.
  7. ^ Macdonald (2011), Moidart: Among the Clanranalds, Birlinn Limited. Page 223.
  8. ^ Macdonald (2011), Moidart: Among the Clanranalds, Birlinn Limited. Pages 210-214, 219.
  9. ^ Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Little River". Vicsig. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  11. ^ "Little River Railway Station and Goods Yard (H1572)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  12. ^ "Mount Rothwell Homestead (H1107)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  13. ^ "Rothwell Bridge (H1454)". Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  14. ^ "History". Little River Historical Society. February 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  15. ^ Little River Band Archived 2009-05-11 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Little River (Urban Centres and Localities)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 4 January 2014. Edit this at Wikidata
  17. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Little River (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  18. ^ "2011 Census QuickStats Little River". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  19. ^ "2016 Census QuickStats Little River". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 19 July 2022.

Further reading

  • Martin, Ruth Lee. 2013. 'Paradise Imagined: Songs of Scots Gaelic migrants in Australia, 1850–1940' ann an Humanities Research àir. XIX. No.3. 2013. dd. 27–44.