General News
3 June, 2025
Forster’s say farewell after two decades
Two decades ago Maryborough faced a grim prospect: a town without a newsagency.
Out of this uncertainty, and with a degree of naivety, newsXpress owners Ross and Cheryle Forster took up the challenge.
“Back then we thought ‘oh it can’t be rocket science’ but it was rocket science. Oh my god, it was so involved,” Mrs Forster said.
Since those uncertain early years, through hard work and 21 years of early starts, the couple have provided a multi-award winning newsagency for the town.
“The newsagency was gone when we decided to throw our hat in the ring and I just personally couldn’t imagine a town like Maryborough without one,” Mr Forster said.
The pair’s cramped office is crowded with the day-to-day clutter of a business, from piles of paperwork through to dated computers, with a shelf of awards overseeing it all: a national award from Hallmark which took them to Kansas City alongside state and local recognition.
“That process has been really rewarding for us,” Mr Forster said.
It was a fitting setting to reflect on their time in the business, building it up from nothing to thrive in the shift from print to digital, as they approach retirement this month.
“The business has been very good to us and we’ve been very good to the business too,” Mrs Forster said.
“Enough’s enough. We need to stop and smell the roses now.”
The pair, now in their 70s, put the business up for sale to test the waters. The pair expected the sale to take time, Ross imagined himself in the office into his 80s, but it was all over in a matter of months — it took Mrs Forster off guard.
“Once we realised we were absolutely shattered because it’s been our whole world for the last 21 years — we saved it. We made it into this beautiful newsagency and Tattslotto business through bloody hard work,” she said.
In the early 2000s the couple were looking to step away from the demanding schedule of their hotel and restaurant, Mr Forster explained.
After a year of looking for another hotel, preferably without a restaurant, their search turned up empty — bar a local newsagency which was in financial difficulty. How hard could it be?
“We had no time to double check the figures and all this sort of stuff. It was in far worse condition than we thought it was,” Mr Forster said.
“We just realised, without even talking about it because there was one way to go, you got to put your head down and bum up and go for it. That’s what we decided to do.”
Beyond the challenge of a newsagency and their “buzzing” back and forth transactions was the burden of turning around a once failed business — a challenge that drove the move to their current location and addition of The Lott.
“It was really hard work but both of us are not scared of hard work,” he said.
While the couple credit their success to a number of things Mrs Forster highlighted the staff.
“I think if you have good staff that’s the key. You can’t do it without good staff,” she said.
Mr Forster agreed, viewing the staff as family, but also highlighted the couple’s willingness to change with the times — even in an aging town that valued the printed word more than most.
“All the others are dying on the vine because they’re not acknowledging [what] the real facts are,” he said.
That early marriage of newsagents and The Lott, now so common in the industry, has grown to make up three-quarters of their business.
“You can always know a good Tattslotto outlet by the number of terminals there are. Most little news agency’s have one terminal, maybe two, but we’ve got three,” he said.
Mr Forster said that of the 1000-odd The Lott agencies in Victoria they rank near the top 20 mark for sales, with 38 division one winners on the license.
“There’s been so many wonderful stories … that almost take you to tears,” he said.
But these achievements and sales pale in comparison to the Forster’s appreciation of the local community.
“The town itself has been very supportive. I love this town,” Mr Forster said.
“It’s just a great place.”
While retirement is fast approaching, no doubt filled with family and Mr Forster’s passion for cycling, Mrs Forster wants locals to know that things will largely stay the same.
“Nothing’s going to change. The staff will remain. The only thing they won’t see is Ross and myself but that’s okay,” she said.
While the new owners will be taking over this month, bringing new ideas and new faces to the local community, the newsagents will remain thanks to the Forster’s decades long effort.
