Foster is a dairying and grazing town 174 kilometres (108 mi) south-east of Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 on the South Gippsland Highway

South Gippsland Highway

The South Gippsland Highway is a partially divided highway in Victoria, Australia which connects the city of Melbourne with the South Gippsland region of Victoria, ending in the town of Sale...

 in Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Gippsland

Gippsland

Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...

 coastline which includes Shallow Inlet, Corner Inlet, Waratah Bay

Waratah Bay, Victoria

Waratah Bay is a town in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, on the shore of Waratah Bay.The town is named after the bay which was named after a ship the Waratah which anchored here for repairs when damaged....

, Yanakie

Yanakie, Victoria

Yanakie is a small, coastal township and district in South Gippsland, in the state of Victoria, south-eastern Australia.-Description:As the nearest town to the major tourist destination of Wilsons Promontory National Park, Yanakie has several caravan parks, B&Bs, and other forms of accommodation. ...

 and Wilsons Promontory

Wilsons Promontory

Wilsons Promontory is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland and is located at . South Point at is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia...

. At the 2006 census

Census in Australia

The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...

, Foster had a population of 2175.

History

Originally called Stockyard Creek, after the stream which still flows through the centre of the town, Foster was initially nothing more than a resting place for drovers travelling from Port Albert

Port Albert, Victoria

Port Albert is a coastal town in Victoria, Australia, on the coast of Corner Inlet on the Yarram - Port Albert Road, kilometres south-east of Morwell, kilometres south-east of Melbourne, in the Shire of Wellington. At the 2006 census, Port Albert had a population of 248.Port Albert was one of the...

 to Western Port

Western Port

Western Port, is sometimes called "Western Port Bay", is a large tidal bay in southern Victoria, Australia opening into Bass Strait. It is the second largest bay in Victoria. Geographically, it is dominated by the two large islands; French Island and Phillip Island. Contrary to its name, it lies to...

. However this all 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.
The railway was extended to Foster in 1892. After the gold ran out, Foster became a service centre of the burgeoning South Gippsland dairy industry. Today it is a thriving town that links Wilsons Promontory with the rest of Victoria.

The Town today

Foster has one hotel and several dining options. Because of the scenic beauty of the surrounding area, and its proximity to Wilsons Promontory and mountain areas inland, Foster is a popular 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.

The football club is the Foster Tigers which is part of the Alberton Football League

Alberton Football League

The Alberton Football League is an Australian rules football league covering the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia.-History:The Alberton Football League was formed in 1946, replacing the earlier Alberton Football Association, and comprised eight clubs—Carrajung, Devon, Foster, Ramblers,...

.

Golfers play at the course of the Foster Golf Club on Reserve Road.

Foster has markets from November to April.

The Great Southern Rail Trail

Great Southern Rail Trail

The Great Southern Rail Trail is a Rail trail from Leongatha to Foster in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The trail is 49 km long and travels through open farmland, before passing through the Hoddle range to Foster. , there is a 3 km section between Koonwarra and Meeniyan where...

 links Foster to Leongatha

Leongatha, Victoria

Leongatha is a town in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria, Australia, located south-east of Melbourne. The town is the commercial, religious, educational and civic centre of the region. At the 2006 census, Leongatha had a population of 4,504.The Murray...

and is used by horseriders, cyclists, runners and walkers.

External links

• visitmelbourne.com: Foster, Victoria