Forreston

History

The town was named in honour of its founder, Alexander Forrest (not to be confused with the Western Australian explorer and surveyor of the same name). Forreston is curious in that, being only 3 km from Gumeracha, it did so well. Alexander Forrest, a blacksmith by trade, arrived in South Australia in 1848, settling in the Forreston area in 1850 and laying out the village in 1858. The Gumeracha North School opened in 1860 and closed in 1967. At one stage, it had a post office, store, wine shop, wheelwright, blacksmith, butcher, school and more. In 1884, gold was found at nearby Watts Gully, yielding nuggets as large as 14 ounces, and the town peaked. However, the town is no more, with only reminders in its historical buildings, including Forrest's original home, of its vibrant commercial past. The region relies heavily on grazing, dairying and market gardening.

Geography

Forreston is located 3 km northeast of Gumeracha on the road to Williamstown. Forreston is served by facilities in Gumeracha.

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,623
• Crimson Rosella

  Platycercus elegans (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  2,444
• New Holland Honeyeater

  Phylidonyris novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  2,166
• Superb Fairywren

  Malurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) · Aves
  2,112
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  2,076
• Red Wattlebird

  Anthochaera carunculata (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  1,867
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  1,772
• Little Raven

  Corvus mellori Mathews, 1912 · Aves
  1,607

Most recent

• M 3 — 2022-03-29
  3 km ESE of Macclesfield, Australia
• M 4 — 2022-03-05
  3 km SW of Mount Barker, Australia
• M 3.2 — 2018-08-08
  11 km WNW of Mannum, Australia
• M 3.9 — 2017-02-01
  9 km NW of Murray Bridge, Australia
• M 3.3 — 2011-10-18
  3 km ESE of Hawthorndene, Australia
• M 3.8 — 2010-04-16
  2 km N of Macclesfield, Australia