Forrest, Victoria is a small rural township located in the Otway Ranges. 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,...

, Forrest and the surrounding area had a population of 170.

History

The railway to the town was opened in 1891 and closed in 1957, as a branch line from Birregurra

Birregurra, Victoria

Birregurra is a town in Victoria, Australia approximately 130 km south-west of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Birregurra had a population of 688....

. It serviced the townships of Deans Marsh, Maroon, Barwon Downs

Barwon Downs

Barwon Downs is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the foothills of the Otway Ranges, south west of the state capital, Melbourne. The township was proclaimed on 10 May 1910. At the 2006 census, Barwon Downs had a population of 167....

, Yaugher and Forrest. At Forrest numerous tramways ran off into the nearby bush. These lines were used to bring the freshly cut timber to the rail head, and the associated sawmills of which there were 4 in Forrest and nearby Yaugher. All of these mills are now closed.

Originally called Yaugher, the name was changed to Forrest when the township was established. The Post Office opened as Yaugher on 27 July 1891 and was renamed Forrest a few weeks later on 15 October 1891.

The town football team was established in 1891, and is still going strong to this day, competing in the Colac & District Football League

Colac & District Football League

The Colac & District Football League is based in South west Victoria.-History:The Colac & District Football League was formed in 1937, as a result of a merger of the Colac and District FA and the Corangamite Farmers FA.Over the years, a number of clubs moved between the CDFL and other local...

. Consisting of a "pub", general store and 2 guesthouses, Forrest is the gateway to the Otway Ranges. The West Barwon river flows through the township and it is near the West Barwon reservoir, which services Geelong

Geelong, Victoria

Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...

.

Today

During the past few years the town has begun to grow again with an influx of people seeking more affordable blocks of land not that far away from the coastal resorts of Apollo Bay

Apollo Bay, Victoria

Apollo Bay is a coastal town in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It is situated on the eastern side of Cape Otway, along the edge of the Barham River and on the Great Ocean Road, in the Colac Otway Shire. The town has a population of 1380....

, Skenes Creek, Grey River, Kennett River

Kennett River

The Kennett River is a river in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It arises in the Otway Ranges and enters Bass Strait to the east of Cape Otway through the locality of the same name....

 and Lorne

Lorne, Victoria

Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route...

. These can be reached either by a pleasant drive on a sealed main road or by ex-timber blue metal roads. Advice should be sought before motoring on the backroads to Kennett River, Wye River

Wye River, Victoria

Wye River is a small town in Victoria, Australia. It is also the name given to the waterway which flows through the town and into the sea at this point. Situated some 155 km west of Melbourne, on the Otway Coast part of the scenic Great Ocean Road, the Wye River township is a popular tourist...

 and Grey River.

Fauna to be viewed on these drives include King Parrots, Crimson Rosella

Crimson Rosella

The Crimson Rosella is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The species as it now stands has subsumed two former separate species, the Yellow...

s, Grey Swamp Wallabies

Swamp Wallaby

The Swamp Wallaby is a small macropod marsupial of eastern Australia. This wallaby is also commonly known as the Black Wallaby, with other names including Black-tailed Wallaby, Fern Wallaby, Black Pademelon, Stinker , and Black Stinker...

, Echidna

Echidna

Echidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. There are four extant species, which, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs...

s. Koalas have in the past been released into the Otways.

Mountain Biking

After the cessation of logging in the Otways, the Victorian state government made funds available for the creation of dedicated Mountain bike trails in the Yaugher area, in order to replace the logging industry. Mountain biking was seen as an addition to the already plentiful eco-tourism industry. Mountain biking now makes up a large portion of the economy in Forrest.

Local Jeff Fox was also asked to be involved as was Glen Jacobs World Trail business. With over 60k of sign posted "single track", Forrest is now seen as one of Australia's best Mountain Biking destinations. The local community has mostly embraced the new industry and business' have started to flourish and accommodate for the increasing visitation.

Forrest is home to the Jeep 24hr Mountain Bike Event. Solo and team riders compete to ride laps of the trails in Forrest for 24hours.