A former goldmining town that is a popular among visitors to Wilsons Promontory and the Strzelecki Ranges as a home base.
Location: 169 km from Melbourne. 44 km south east of Leongatha. Map
Origin of name: Originally known as Stockman's Creek after the stream that still runs through it, the name was changed to Foster in 1871, in honour of William Henry Foster, the town's magistrate.
Brief history: Gold was mined here in the late 1890s, but when it dried up the miners turned to dairying. The town prospered with the arrival of the railway in 1892 and a butter factory was opened in 1905.
Natural features: Foster Flora Reserves: Stockyard Creek; Turtons Creek Falls; Mt Nicholl Lookout; Corner Inlet Marine National Park ; Nooramunga and Corner Inlet Marine & Coastal Parks; Turtons Creek Scenic Reserve
Built features: Stockyard Gallery