Opossum Bay is a rural residential locality in the local government area of
Clarence Clarence may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division
* Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow
* Clarence River (New South Wales)
* Clarence Strait (Northern Territory)
* City of Clarence, a l ...
in the
Hobart region of
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
. The locality is about 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
South Arm Peninsula is a peninsula that lies on the east side of the mouth of the River Derwent south of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia. The peninsula commences at Lauderdale and curves landward or inward on a narrow isthmus that has South Ar ...
on the outskirts of Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
.
History
Opossum Bay was gazetted as a locality in 1967.
Opossum Bay Post Office opened on 16 January 1942 and closed in 1980.
The origin of Opossum Bay's name is unclear.
In 1997, Opossum Bay received national attention when it was the location of where Labor Senator Nick Sherry
Nicholas John Sherry (born 19 November 1955) is a former Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Tasmania from July 1990 until June 2012, representing the Australian Labor Party. Sherry was sworn ...
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.
Geography
The Derwent River forms the western and northern boundaries, and Ralphs Bay
Ralphs Bay is a body of water in south-east Tasmania, Australia. It is semi-enclosed by the Tranmere / Rokeby peninsula and the South Arm peninsula. Sea access to the bay is from the River Derwent.
Ralphs Bay is a shallow, windy bay, situate ...
the eastern.
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.
Road infrastructure
The B33 route (South Arm Road) enters from the south-east and runs north to the town, where it ends.
Notable residents
* Brian Ritchie
Brian Ritchie (born November 21, 1960) is the bass guitarist for the alternative rock band Violent Femmes. Ritchie was born and raised in the United States and is currently a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia, with his full-time residence i ...
– bass guitarist for the band Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza (joined 2004 ...
.
References
Towns in Tasmania
Bays of Tasmania
Beaches of Tasmania
South Arm Peninsula
Localities of City of Clarence
{{ClarenceTAS-geo-stub