"People always referred to it as the old Canberra," long-time resident Ms Forrest said.

She said the well-established areas were predominantly single dwellings on substantial blocks of land, and places like Manuka and Kingston had very active shopping districts.

Ms Forrest - not related to those the suburb of Forrest is named after - is somewhat of an expert on the inner south.

She's a life-long Canberran, and has lived in the same heritage-listed house in Griffith for 40 years.

She was chairperson of the Manuka Local Area Planning Advisory Committee and when that was disbanded and the Inner South Canberra Community Council was established Ms Forrest became deputy chair. She is now a general committee member, with a particular interest in heritage issues.

Around the time she moved into Griffith, the apartment boom was just beginning in the capital.

"The first was one was built around Giles Street [in Kingston] during the late 1970s," she said.

"It then encroached through the rest of Kingston and into parts of Griffith north of Canberra Avenue."

The home Ms Forrest lives in was among the first homes built in Canberra's south, as part of what was known as Blandfordia 5.

The first buildings in Blandfordia 5, which makes up a significant part of Griffith and Forrest, were erected in 1925 and work was completed on the 150 homes by 1945. The area was planned to accommodate the large number of public servants flocking to the city.

The public service homes in Canberra's south were made to be different from those already set up in the north. At the time, the differentiation was based on income, which drew criticism from those in other parts of Australia.

"It was planned as a suburb for middle-class public servants with families on a higher income than those accommodated in Ainslie and Acton," Ms Forrest said.

"Back in the early days of Canberra, the suburbs had very distinct social boundaries, often based around income."

The number of homes in Blandfordia 5 was dense for the era, but they were consistent in the style of housing. They were mainly separated and single storey with spacious yards.

Ms Forrest said the area was built using garden city concepts that were popular in England, to accommodate green spaces and community land ownership.

"There are many distinctive characteristics, like the street layout following natural contours and parks," she said.

"Many of these homes had hedges planted there as part of the style and some are still there today."

Ms Forrest said the home she lives in, and the surrounding ones, maintain an essential link to Canberra's past.

"The long-term survival of these heritage areas are vitally important to telling the history of the city as the national capital," she said.

"These areas add a lot of grace to the city."

In the last few decades, however, she said there's been a clash between the old and the new Canberra, with many older homes around the inner south being replaced.

Ms Forrest said the most changes have been seen in Manuka.

Long before shopping centres and supermarkets had come to the area, which were met with protests,  many family-owned businesses were trading in the suburb, one of Canberra's first retail hubs.

"The long established family businesses were part of the fabric of Manuka. There were many different butchers and delis there," Ms Forrest said.

"In recent times there's been an enormous turnover of businesses."

An increase in businesses coming and going in the area has seen some of Canberra's first homes now used as shopfronts.

Many of these are in Manuka, and have been converted to house doctors, dentists and real estate agents.

"All of those changes haven't impacted the feel of the area, which is a big plus."

Ms Forrest said the inner south's history was well worth preserving for future generations.

"I feel very privileged to live in the area, and I know my friends share the same view," Ms Forrest said.

"We're caretakers of the area and part of the story of Canberra."

Diana Coxhead said Canberra is transforming before her eyes. She's lived in the capital for 48 years and said it is visionary and progressive.

"It is morphing into an Adelaide-esque city with all the amenities a city offers without the big smoke pollution and traffic congestion," she said.

"Mum told me stories about living in Cuppacumbalong in the 1950s without electricity where dad worked at the sheep station, and catching a fish in the 'Biggee was a weekend highlight as was driving to Manuka for a milkshake."

We're looking at Aranda and Belconnen in the coming weeks. Do you have fond memories from your Canberra suburb? Share them with us. Email your stories and old photos to sunday@canberratimes.com.au