About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website.
About the Station
Little River railway station is located on the Warrnambool line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the town of Little River, and it opened in 1856.
In 1856, the railway line was completed to Little River, with the original station built on the Geelong side of the river, north of the line. With the arrival of the railway, a new township began to form around the station. Two new hotels would arrive that same year, the Station Peak Terminus Hotel, situated near the station, and the Bowling Green Hotel, on the Werribee side of the river, south of the line.
Over the following years, the fortunes of both towns would continue to wax and wane. The arrival of the railway in the early 1860s brought with it not only passengers and goods, but also a steady stream of new arrivals from the large towns eager to fulfil their dreams of a life on the land. This presented a tantalising opportunity to budding entrepreneurs who, with varying degrees of success, split up and sold small parcels of land to prospective farmers.
As the towns began to boom, construction of schools, churches and bridges followed in order to support the growing population. The construction of a grand bluestone Railway Station on the Werribee side of the river, completed in 1864, reflected the expectations for the prosperity of the new town. In 1867, the new township became known as Little River.
When the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company constructed the line, it proposed that the station be built on the northern side of Little River. However, the company had trouble negotiating with the relevant land owner, so the first station was located on the south side of the river. The former platform mound of that station was finally removed in 1994, when the Western standard gauge line was being constructed.
The buildings and adjoining goods shed of the current station, on the north side of the river, are some of the earliest station buildings in Victoria. They are constructed of bluestone, to an original design by Frederick Kawerau, for the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company, and were completed by the Victorian Railways in 1864. Features of note include the basement holding cells (for prisoners) and the Victorian Railways plaques on the station gables. The buildings are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
On the night of April 2, 1884 the station was the site of a head on collision between an up Ballarat via Geelong passenger train and a down Geelong goods. The drivers of both trains were killed, as well as a passenger. The line was using 'staff and ticket' rules at the time. The station master at Werribee had gone away without leave, with an employee without telegraph experience being left in charge, while the SM's daughter had knowledge of the system. The employee gave the train staff to the driver of the down goods and was sent down the line, while the SM's daughter telegraphed 'line clear' to Little River, who then despatched the passenger train into the same section in the opposite direction.
On 25 October 1970, the newly duplicated the line from Werribee to Little River was opened, and the goods siding closed. In 1972, a crossover at the Up end of the station was abolished. On 4 June 1981, the newly duplicated line to Lara was opened, and a second platform (Platform 1) was provided.
In 1995, the Western standard gauge line opened, passing to the north and west of the station. The line is primarily used by freight trains, as well as The Overland passenger service to and from Adelaide. However, it does not stop at the station.
In Music
Little River Band included some scenes shot at Little River station in the music video for their 1978 single, Shut Down Turn Off.
About the cache
The cache is a micro, hidden in a small container. No need to enter the platform area.