Foster is a dairying and grazing town south-east of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
on the
South Gippsland Highway in
Victoria,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. At the Foster had a population of 1,164.
It is about north of the
Gippsland
Gippsland () is a rural region in the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains south of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It covers an elongated area of east of th ...
coastline which includes
Shallow Inlet,
Corner Inlet,
Waratah Bay,
Yanakie and
Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland, located in the state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria.
South Point (Wilsons Promontory), South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promon ...
.
History
Originally called Stockyard Creek, after the stream which still flows through the centre of the town, Foster was initially just a resting place for drovers travelling from
Port Albert to
Western Port
Western Port, ( Boonwurrung: ''Warn Marin'') commonly but unofficially known as Western Port Bay, is a large tidal bay in southern Victoria, Australia, opening into Bass Strait. It is the second largest bay in the state. Geographically, it ...
. This changed with the discovery of gold in the 1880s, leading to a (modest) gold rush. The post office opened on 20 February 1871 as Stockyard Creek and was renamed Foster in 1879 when the township was established.
In 1870 a gold rush along Stockyard Creek resulted in the township of that name and in late 1884 following comments by the Police Magistrate from Sale (Mr William H Foster) that he couldn't hold court in a creek the town suddenly became ‘Foster’. Previously a stockyard for drovers had been established along the creek but several miles from the ultimate township. The story of Foster is in a publication available at the Foster & District Historical Society Inc. The
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
was extended to Foster in 1892. When the gold ran out, Foster became a service centre of the burgeoning South Gippsland dairy industry. Today it is a rural town that links Wilsons Promontory with the rest of Victoria.
Amenities
Foster has one hotel and several dining options. Because of the scenery of surrounding area and its proximity to Wilsons Promontory and mountain areas inland, Foster is a destination for international visitors as well as Melbourne residents. In summer, the town's temporary population can increase by as much as two and a half fold due to tourism.
Foster has markets from November to April. The markets do not run from May through to October, during the Victorian winter.
The discovery of gold is commemorated by a bronze statue of a gold panner by artist, Kim Devenish.
Sport and recreation
The football club is the Foster Tigers which is part of the
Alberton Football League.
Foster won the 1914 South Gippsland Shire Football Association premiership.
Foster Golf Club course is on Reserve Road.
The
Great Southern Rail Trail links Foster to
Leongatha in the west and
Yarram in the east. The trail is used by horseriders, cyclists, runners and walkers.
See also
*
Foster railway station, Victoria
References
External links
visitmelbourne.com: Foster, Victoria
Fishing communities in Australia
Mining towns in Victoria (state)
Towns in Victoria (state)
Shire of South Gippsland
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