Little River

Gazetted into oblivion, the lost town of Rothwell whispers tales of resilience near Little River. Little River itself owes its existence to the whims of a railway line. Originally, the bustling hub was meant to be Rothwell. Rothwell sprang up around the Travellers Rest Inn in 1840, a vital stop on the rough road between Melbourne and Geelong. In 1852, the town was surveyed, land was sold, and dreams were built. Then came the railway. The unstable ground near Rothwell, nicknamed “The Glue Pot”, forced a route change. The railway station was built a kilometer north, near the river. A new settlement bloomed, leaving Rothwell in its dust. Little River, as the new town became known, boasted a grand bluestone railway station by 1864. Rothwell, however, faded. Its inn, rebuilt after an 1851 fire, burned down again in 1958. This time, it wasn’t resurrected. The roads were closed, the town officially ceased to exist in 1923, and Little River became the main settlement. Today, Little River thrives as a blend of old and new, its agricultural roots still strong. The ruins of the Rothwell Inn remain, a poignant reminder of the area’s ever-shifting fortunes. They stand as a silent testament to the resilience of those who built, lost, and rebuilt beside the Little River. The Australian rock band, Little River Band, even took its name from a road sign pointing to the town, cementing Little River’s place in Australian culture.