Opossum Bay
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type = suburb
| name = Opossum Bay
| city = Hobart
| state = tas
| image = OpossumBayTas.jpg
| caption = Beach at Opossum Bay
| image_alt =
| relief =
| coordinates = {{coord|42|59|38|S|147|24|12|E|display=inline,title}}
| alternative_location_map = Australia Hobart
| pushpin_label_position = right
| local_map = yes
| zoom = 11
| map_alt =
| pop = 329
| pop_year = 2016 census
| poprank =
| density =
| density_footnotes =
| established =
| established_footnotes =
| abolished =
| gazetted =
| postcode = 7023
| elevation =
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| area =
| area_footnotes =
| timezone =
| utc =
| timezone-dst =
| utc-dst =
| location1 = South Arm
| dist1 = 5
| dir1 = N| lga = Clarence
| region = Hobart
| county =
| stategov = Franklin
| fedgov = Franklin
| url =
| maxtemp =
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| near-n = Derwent River
| near-ne = Ralphs Bay
| near-e = Ralphs Bay
| near-se = Ralphs Bay
| near-s = South Arm
| near-sw = Derwent River
| near-w = Derwent River
| near-nw = Derwent River
| near =
| footnotes =
|dist2=25|dir2=SW|location2=Lauderdale|dist3=37|dir3=SE|location3=Rosny Park}}
Opossum Bay is a rural residential locality in the local government area of Clarence in the Hobart region of Tasmania. The locality is about {{convert|37|km}} south-east of the town of Rosny Park. The 2016 census has a population of 329 for the state suburb of Opossum Bay.
It is located on the South Arm Peninsula on the outskirts of Hobart.
History
Opossum Bay was gazetted as a locality in 1967.{{cite web |url=https://www.placenames.tas.gov.au/#p1 |title=Placenames Tasmania – Opossum Bay.|author= |publisher=Placenames Tasmania |access-date=4 August 2020 |at=Select "Search", enter "1168Q", click "Search", select row, map is displayed, click "Details"}}
Opossum Bay Post Office opened on 16 January 1942 and closed in 1980.{{Cite web | last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | publisher = Premier Postal Auctions | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=tas&country= | access-date = 16 June 2012}}
File:Opossum Bay,South Arm from Mt Wellington.jpg
The origin of Opossum Bay's name is unclear.[http://www.opossumbay.com/Where_is_Opossum_Bay.html Where is Opossum Bay?]
In 1997, Opossum Bay received national attention when it was the location of where Labor Senator Nick Sherry had an overnight stay with his mother and was accused of misusing his travel allowances for this stay.
The controversy that ensued led to Sherry attempting suicide, which he survived.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/rorting-rules-unchanged-and-behaviour-much-the-same-20131008-2v6eg.html|title=Rorting rules unchanged, and behaviour much the same|date=8 October 2013}}
Geography
The Derwent River forms the western and northern boundaries, and Ralphs Bay the eastern.{{google maps|url=https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Opossum+Bay+TAS+7023/@-42.9854676,147.3882295,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xaa6dd0a8b09fdd0d:0x503c94dd0de16c0!8m2!3d-42.993889!4d147.403333 |title=Opossum Bay, Tasmania |access-date=4 August 2020}}
Opossum Bay is nearly surrounded by water. The Gellibrand Point, Opossum Bay and South Arm Town area is connected to the rest of the South Arm Peninsula by a narrow isthmus. The proximity to the Derwent River and Ralphs Bay can result in Opossum Bay frequently being cooled by sea breezes in summer.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tco.asn.au/oac/local_attractions.cgi?oacID=69&articleID=184165 |title=Clarence Plains Online Access Centre |access-date=25 September 2011 |archive-date=24 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324233434/http://tco.asn.au/oac/local_attractions.cgi?oacID=69&articleID=184165 |url-status=dead }}
Road infrastructure
The B33 route (South Arm Road) enters from the south-east and runs north to the town, where it ends.{{cite web |url=https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/Route%20Descriptions%20V3.6.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801112712/http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/Route%20Descriptions%20V3.6.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-08-01 |title=Tasmanian Road Route Codes |author= |date=May 2017 |publisher=Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment |access-date=4 August 2020 }}
Notable residents
- Brian Ritchie – bass guitarist for the band Violent Femmes.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Hobart suburbs}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Localities of City of Clarence
Category:Populated places on the River Derwent
{{ClarenceTAS-geo-stub}}