Bellerive, TAS
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Bellerive is a historic waterfront suburb in the City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of the River Derwent across the water from central Hobart, about 6km from the city. First settled in the 1820s, it was originally called Kangaroo Point for the kangaroos seen along the foreshore, before being renamed Bellerive - French for 'beautiful shore' - in the 1830s. Reminders of its colonial past survive in the 1885 Kangaroo Bluff Battery, a coastal fort now kept as a public reserve, and in heritage buildings such as the old police station, now an arts centre. Bellerive Oval, the waterfront ground beside the marina, has long hosted international cricket. Commuter ferries still link the suburb across the Derwent to Hobart, and it keeps a village-like character.
More advantaged than the national average
Bellerive is more socio-economically advantaged than about 64% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1012, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Bellerive at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 4,945
- Median age
- 44
- Median weekly household income
- $1,461
- SEIFA score
- 1012
- Coordinates
- -42.8730, 147.3788
Bellerive demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Bellerive using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 26%, 29% of homes are rented, and 22% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 707 | 14% |
| Youth (15–24) | 473 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,309 | 26% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,199 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,259 | 25% |
Share of the 4,947 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 905 | 43% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 551 | 26% |
| Rented | 620 | 29% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,726 | 81% |
| Townhouses & semis | 241 | 11% |
| Flats & apartments | 153 | 7% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,131 occupied private dwellings in Bellerive.
- Median weekly rent
- $360
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,600
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,003
- Median weekly personal income
- $817
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,022 (22%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 689 (14%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 121 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 2,483 (61%)
- Labour-force participation
- 59%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.7%
- Employed full-time
- 1,316
- Employed part-time
- 919
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Bellerive
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Bellerive is January (average daytime high around 23.2°C) and the coolest is July (around 11.9°C). The area receives roughly 621 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23.2°C | 12.6°C | 53 mm |
| Feb | 22.1°C | 11.9°C | 41 mm |
| Mar | 20.6°C | 10.8°C | 51 mm |
| Apr | 17.6°C | 8.7°C | 36 mm |
| May | 14.3°C | 6.5°C | 51 mm |
| Jun | 12.3°C | 5°C | 54 mm |
| Jul | 11.9°C | 4.5°C | 36 mm |
| Aug | 12.6°C | 4.3°C | 49 mm |
| Sep | 15°C | 5.8°C | 46 mm |
| Oct | 17°C | 7.2°C | 73 mm |
| Nov | 18.9°C | 9.1°C | 64 mm |
| Dec | 21°C | 10.7°C | 67 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Bellerive
Where is Bellerive?
Bellerive is a suburb of Tasmania, Australia.
What is the population of Bellerive?
At the 2021 Census, Bellerive had a population of about 4,945.
Is Bellerive an advantaged area?
Bellerive has an ABS SEIFA score of 1012, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 64 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 64% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Bellerive?
Bellerive has average daytime highs of about 17.2°C and overnight lows of about 8.1°C, with roughly 621 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Bellerive?
Bellerive is one of the most populous suburbs in Tasmania — the 23rd-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 4,945 usual residents).
Where Bellerive ranks
Bellerive appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Tasmania#23 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Tasmania
More suburb guides in Tasmania
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.