Belair, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BelairAdelaide, South Australia |
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Part of the view north from Windy Point
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| Postcode(s) | 5052 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 14.58 km2 (5.6 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 10 km (6 mi) S of Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Mitcham | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Waite | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Boothby | ||||||||||||||
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Belair is a suburb in the south eastern foothills of Adelaide, South Australia at the base of the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Name
Before European settlement, the Kaurna people called the area of modern-day Belair "piraldi". One early European name for the area was Sleep's Hill, named after Samuel Sleep, a shepherd who came to South Australia in the 1830s. The origin of the modern name "Belair" is uncertain. Gustav Ludewigs, who subdivided the area, may have named the suburb after Bel Air, Martinique, being his wife Maria's birthplace. Another theory is that it was named in 1849 after Eugene Bellairs, a Government surveyor who lived in the area.
History
The origin of the name 'Belair' appears uncertain. Gustav Ludewigs, who subdivided the area, may have named the suburb after Bel Air, Martinique, being his wife Maria's birthplace. Another theory is that it was named in 1849 after Eugene Bellairs, a Government surveyor who lived in the area.
A Belair Post Office opened on 3 April 1859; it was relocated in 1881 to near its present position and the original office renamed Blackwood.
Geography
Belair was established during the settlement of Adelaide as a source of timber. Parts of Belair have views of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Plains and the coast. Belair National Park is one of the major attractions of the suburb, and Windy Point (formerly known as Observation Point) provides a 230 degree panorama making it one of the best lookouts over the city, the plains and the coast.
Demographics
At the 2021 census, Belair had a population of 4,896, up from 4,411 at the 2016 census and 4,390 at the 2011 census. Only 26 people identified themselves as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, making up just half a percent of the suburb's population, well below the national average of 3.2%. Belair is also an older suburb, with a median age of 47 compared with the national median age of 38. 89.6% of people only spoke English at home, and 75.0% reported that they were born in Australia. These were the most commonly nominated ancestries:
- English (47.3%)
- Australian (35.9%)
- Scottish (13.0%)
- Irish (10.7%)
- German (8.5%)
Religion
As of 2021, a majority of Belair residents don't identify with a religion, with 59.2% of residents falling into the census category of "Secular Beliefs and Other Spiritual Beliefs and No Religious Affiliation". The most commonly stated religious affiliations in the 2021 census were Anglican (11.1%), Catholic (9.5%), and the Uniting Church (5.9%). Churches in the suburb include Holy Innocents Anglican Church Belair and Belair Uniting Church, both on the same road (Sheoak Road).
Transport
The Adelaide-Wolseley railway line runs through Belair, with the Pinera and Belair railway stations being serviced by the Belair railway line, operated by Adelaide Metro.
The suburb is also serviced by regular bus routes, such as the 195, 196 and 197.
Education
Belair falls within the catchment area of Belair Jean Bonython Kindergarten, which is in the neighbouring suburb of Glenalta. It is a preschool providing education for children aged 3 to 5.
The suburb includes Belair Primary School, which originally opened in 1957. Belair Schools used to include two separate schools: Belair Primary School and Belair Junior Primary School. The two schools co-located in 1997 and amalgamated into a single school in 2013. Since 2013 the schools have catered to students from Reception to Year 6. The school follows the IB Primary Years Programme, and it is a member of the Eco School Network.
There are no public high schools in Belair. The suburb is part of the catchment area for Blackwood High School in Eden Hills. The suburb does, however, include the private school St John's Grammar School, which teaches students from pre-school through to Year 12.
