In 1977, Coster won the Golden Guitar for APRA Song of the Year with his composition "Three Rivers Hotel", recorded by Slim Dusty.

[2] While on the land Coster worked as a ringer, fencer, slaughterman, horse-breaker, kangaroo shooter, and shed hand and was able to draw these experiences into his bush ballads.

[3] In the late 1970s, Coster moved to Tamworth, New South Wales where he had begun his singing career at Joe Maguire's Pub (now known as the Tatersall's Hotel), and then to nearby Manilla.

[5][6] In 1987, Coster won another Golden Guitar for APRA Song of the Year for "He's a Good Bloke When He's Sober".

In 1989 he was awarded an OAM for "Services to Country Music", and in 1990 was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown at Tamworth.

Other than Dusty – Buddy Williams, Joy McKean, John Williamson, Gordon Parsons and many other music artists have performed Stan Coster songs.

Dusty recorded the song and it became an enduring country music hit, later covered by Lee Kernaghan.

The statue was unveiled by country music personalities Anne Kirkpatrick (Dusty's daughter), Jayne Kelly and Tracy and Russell Coster.