| Type: | lga |
| Rural City of Bellarine | |
| State: | vic |
| Region: | Barwon South West |
| Area: | 331.78 |
| Est: | 1853 |
| Seat: | Drysdale |
| Pop: | 44,180 |
| Pop Year: | 1992 |
| Pop Footnotes: | [1] |
| County: | Grant |
| Near-Nw: | Geelong |
| Near-N: | Corio Bay |
| Near-Ne: | Port Phillip |
| Near-W: | South Barwon |
| Near-E: | Queenscliffe |
| Near-Sw: | South Barwon |
| Near-S: | Bass Strait |
| Near-Se: | Bass Strait |
| Noautocat: | yes |
The Rural City of Bellarine was a local government area southeast of the regional city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, covering most of the Bellarine Peninsula. The Rural City covered an area of 331.78km2, and from its origin as the Portarlington Road District, existed in a number of forms and under different names from 1853 until 1993.
Bellarine was first incorporated as the Portarlington Road District on 12 December 1853, and became a shire on 26 September 1865. On 12 December 1989, Bellarine was proclaimed a rural city.[2]
On 18 May 1993, the Rural City of Bellarine was abolished, and along with the Cities of Geelong, Geelong West and Newtown, the Shire of Corio and parts of the City of South Barwon and the Shires of Barrabool and Bannockburn, was merged into the newly created City of Greater Geelong.
The Rural City of Bellarine was divided into three ridings, each of which elected three councillors:
| Year | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 7,015 | |
| 1958 | 9,270* | |
| 1961 | 10,127 | |
| 1966 | 14,529 | |
| 1971 | 18,791 | |
| 1976 | 24,495 | |
| 1981 | 30,014 | |
| 1986 | 35,302 | |
| 1991 | 41,130 |