Forrest (postcode: 2603) is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Forrest is named after Sir John Forrest, an explorer, legislator, federalist, Premier of Western Australia, and one of the fathers of the Australian Constitution. Streets in Forrest are named after explorers and governors. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Forrest is the second most Socio-Economic advantaged location in Australia after the neighbouring suburb of Barton. Forrest is one of the few suburbs in Canberra built to the original Canberra plans. It contains many circular and geometric patterns in its streets and can be quite confusing to drive in. Forrest was renamed from the earlier suburb Blandfordia (the name of the Christmas Bell) and gazetted as a suburb in 1928. South Blandfordia became part of the new suburb of Griffith at the same time. The original residents of Forrest were mostly senior public servants who were moved from Melbourne.

Demography

In the, the population of Forrest was 1,827; 0.4% were Indigenous and 72.1% were born in Australia. 36.5% of dwellings were separate houses (compared to the Australian average of 72.3%), 16.9% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses (Australian average: 12.6%) and 46.6% were flats, units or apartments (Australian average: 14.2%). 42.5% of the population were professionals, compared to the Australian average of 24.0%. 20.5% worked in central government administration, compared to the Australian average of 1.1% and the Canberra-wide average of 17.1%. The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over was $1,816, compared to the median Australian income of $805. The weekly median family income was $4,532, as compared to the Australian weekly median family income of $2,120.

Education

Forrest Primary School is situated in Hobart Avenue in Forrest. It caters for students in years P-6. The students wear red and yellow. The school celebrated its fiftieth anniversary on 4 April 2008. Forrest residents get preference for:

Suburb amenities

The suburb includes part of the Manuka shopping centre. The suburb also contains a government run primary school. Forrest together with the eastern part of Deakin and the northern part of Red Hill (sometimes called "old Deakin" and "old Red Hill"), represent the most prestigious residential area in Canberra. Most of the area is detached dwellings in which a 1600 m2 block would be on the small side, and 2000 m2 blocks are not atypical.

Notable places

Forrest includes several areas that are listed by the ACT Heritage Council, covering most of the suburb:

Forrest Housing Precinct

The Forrest Housing Precinct is subject to conservation measures to preserve its character. Important values being preserved in the suburb are:

Street furniture

The remnants of street furniture, that is street signs, fire hydrants and footpath lighting and other elements including kerbs and gutters and examples of brick drains, are valued for their contribution to the aesthetic of a twentieth-century 'Garden City' planned subdivision. The furniture of the Garden City precincts (Blandfordia 4 and 5 and the Forrest Housing precincts) is now protected.

Forrest Fire Station Precinct

These buildings are in the block bounded by Canberra Avenue, Empire Circuit, Manuka Circle and Fitzroy Street. They were completed in 1938 and include a former fire station. The buildings are considered important examples of Australian Early Modern Architecture and illustrate a distinctive comparison with the "Federal Capital Architecture" that dominated in Canberra in the 1920s and 30s.

Tennyson Crescent Christmas lights

The Richards' family home in Tennyson Crescent took out the Guinness World Record for the most lights on a residential property on 4 December 2011. Electricity at the house lights more than half a million Christmas lights. The lighting display opened to visitors, with gold coin donations accepted to raise money for SIDS and Kids ACT.

Notable people

Notable people from or who have lived in Forrest include:

Geology

Mount Painter Volcanics dark grey to green grey dacitic tuff is found in all except the northeast side. There are a few outcrops of sediments in amongst the volcanics containing shale and sandstone. On the northeast a patch of Ordovician Pittman Formation greywacke outcrops along Canberra Avenue. Black Mountain Sandstone is near St Andrew's church in the north north east. Canberra Formation, calcareous shale is found in the north. The Deakin Fault runs from State Circle to Manuka separating the Mount Painter Volcanics from the other sediments.