 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.