Alas I wish it was still called Blanfordia (seriously how cool would it be to live in a suburb called this!)....but it was renamed Forrest in 1928, which given the significant tree to everything else ratio seems quite appropriate.
But Forrest is actually named after Sir John Forrest - an Australian explorer, the first premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament. The streets here, which go round in circles and are confusing even for Canberra, are named after explorers and governors.
Like Reid, Forrest has rather a British feeling to it...with gorgeous old trees, well looked after hedges, beautiful roses gardens and quaint (but ridiculously large) houses everywhere...
If I can't live in Reid, I think this house really was meant for me...
I almost expected Mr Tumnus to come and greet me standing here....
As with any suburb...some people do, however, have more money than taste....
I bet this family are looking forward to Ikea opening...
But its not all just mansions around here (ok though there are a lot....).....there is a Jewish memorial centre...
And Canberra's equivalent of the leaning tower of Pisa at the italian cultural centre...or perhaps I was just standing on an angle :p
There is also somewhat surprisingly a memorial here to the poet Robert Burns...which the internet tells me is meant to symbolise the contribution of people of Scottish communities to Australia.
It is not hard to get an insight into the old Canberra around here either...
Or to find god if that is your thing...or at least to listen to some great classical music in a nice building :p
All in all a lovely day out in Forrest.
