Among the Ferns at Foster, Victoria
Is a dairying and grazing town 174 kilometres (108 mi) south-east of Melbourne on the South Gippsland Highway in Victoria, Australia. It is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Gippsland coastline which includes Shallow Inlet, Corner Inlet, Waratah Bay, Yanakie and Wilsons Promontory. At the 2006 census, 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 to Western Port. 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 Promotory 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.[3]
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 links Foster to Leongatha and is used by horseriders, cyclists, runners and walkers.
About
Foster is a former gold-mining town on the banks of Stockyard Creek in the South Gippsland district between the Strzelecki Ranges and Wilson’s Promontory National Park.
This park is one of the most popular in Victoria and is renowned for the brilliance of its wildflower displays in late winter and spring.
Foster offers the visitor a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and provides many scenic routes to the beaches and hills in the surrounding towns.
The town’s attractions include the golf club, the Stockyard Gallery, which also houses a satellite information centre, and the museum which comprehensively traces the district’s history and origins based in farming, mining, forestry and fishing.
Foster is within comfortable driving distance of the stunning beaches and scenic lookouts of Wilsons Promontory. There are boat launching facilities at Corner Inlet which is one of the region’s most popular boating and fishing spots.
Foster Victoria 17 Apr 2010 -Cook here and now
SLOW Food Melbourne announces the launch ofCook Here and Now, a series of events which bring together a group of people to share in the selection, preparation and consumption of a locally-sourced meal.
Four events are planned in regional Victoria over the winter of 2010, centered around farmers’ markets and seasonal, regional produce. A menu will be prepared for each event based on produce available at a local farmers’ market, and the meal preparation will include skill-sharing activities such as making a fresh cheese, pasta or sausages.
The first will be held in Foster, South Gippsland, on Sat 17 Apr 2010. Others will be held:
- Sat 1 May: Daylesford Farmers’ Market
- Sun 4 Jul: Hurstbridge Farmers’ Market
- Sat 28 Aug: Lancefield Farmers’ Market
‘It was a good day when I chanced upon the Cook Here and Now concept in San Francisco.’ says Slow Food Melbourne president Alison Peake. ‘We got talking to locals who told us about this great concept that brought people together to shop, cook and share food, buying the best local produce, mostly sourced from farmers’ markets or direct from producers. Being cheeky Australians we went straight to Marco Flavio and asked to take the concept to Melbourne. Now we are sharing the idea with Victoria to profile local producers and the concept of eating seasonally.’
Cook Here and Now is an initiative of Roman-born photographer and food lover Marco Flavio Marinucci. Victoria is the first region outside the United States to produce Cook Here and Now, following presentations in San Francisco, California and Austin, Texas.
Cook Here and Now in Foster, South Gippsland
The first event of the series will take place in Foster, South Gippsland, on Sat 17 Apr 2010 at the Prom Country Farmers’ Market and is presented in partnership with Foster Primary School, a proud participant in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden programme. Three students and the coordinator of the programme in Foster, Kim Albert, will participate in the event.
Melbourne-based chef Pauline Leonard, who operates ‘Cooking the Italian Way’ classes and food and wine tours, has prepared a menu for the event around South Gippsland’s produce, including fresh, wild-caught fish, seasonal fruit and vegetables, olive oil, fresh cheese and hazelnuts.
Map of Foster, Victoria
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Below is a free Map of Foster, Victoria from Google. Browse Foster maps, hotels and cheap accommodation deals now – from 5 star luxury hotels, apartments and beach resorts to 3 star motels, holiday and caravan parks. For a Foster hotel map search your destination below. |
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TravelFoster (including Fish Creek) 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 to Westernport. John Amey, an ex-convict of Tasmania, took up land at Bennison, several miles east of the creek, in 1860. He established a profitable farm which shipped produce to Port Albert via packhorse and bullock dray. His daughter often accompanied him on these trips and thus she met and married Port Albert’s Crown Land Ranger. At that time, all logging was supposed to be strictly licensed by the Crown and the illegal logging of blackwood was being carried out around the creek. When timber staves were found washed up after a boating wreck the ranger became suspicious and travelled to Stockyard Creek to investigate. While he was resting at Amey’s, the father-in-law hurried out to the loggers’ camp and forewarned them. They cleared the camp and, while pretending to be gold prospectors, actually discovered a rich strain of gold. The find was registered and a rush followed. One of the most profitable claims existed on the site of what is now the State Bank. As there were no police at the site of the rush, William Henry Foster, a magistrate, was called in to adjudicate disputes in 1871. Objecting to carrying out the Crown’s business at an undistinguished ‘creek’ he suggested a change of name. Someone, with a wry sense of humour or an eye on winning the favour of the magistrate, suggested Foster and the suggestion was unanimously carried. A census taken in 1871 revealed 345 men and 24 women in the area. A mechanics institute and bank were established that year while a school and post office arrived in 1872. However, there were no outstanding strikes and by the end of the decade the gold was drying up and the locals began to turn to dairying to support themselves. Reef mining was taken up later in the century and mining was abandoned altogether in the 1930s. The railway arrived in 1892 and two years later the people of Foster successfully agitated for the creation of the new shire of South Gippsland. A butter factory commenced operations in 1905 and the area received a boost in prosperity immediately after the Second World War, when the Soldier Settlement Commission developed the Yanakie area, a narrow stretch of land to the south. Foster holds craft markets once a month, during the holiday season, in the showgrounds. |
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