Bellubera was a ferry operated by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company on the Manly service. Launched in 1910, she was the third of six "Binngarra-type" vessels. Upon her 1936 conversion from steam power, she became the first diesel-electric vessel in Australia. She was decommissioned in 1973, and scuttled at sea in 1980.

Due to many misfortunes in her 63-year service life, she was nicknamed the "Hoodoo Ship". Two of her masters died at the wheel, two crew members died when she was gutted by fire in 1936, and the owner of a motor launch was killed when Bellubera ran it down and sank her.

The name "bellubera" is thought to be an Australian Aboriginal word meaning "pretty lady" or "beautiful woman".

The Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company's fleet transitioned comparatively late to screw propelled vessels and the fleet comprised mostly paddle steamers until the early years of the twentieth century. The difficulty of turning in the narrow bays of Sydney Harbour - particularly in the busy Circular Quay terminus in Sydney Cove - required the use of double-ended vessels. However, a double-ended screw configuration was particularly difficult for the fine bows that Manly ferries required for both speed and heavy seas. Further, a propeller at the leading forward end of a vessel reduced speed considerably. In the prosperous early twentieth century, this speed drawback was overcome by increasing engine size and power.

The first screw ferries on the Manly run were two innovative Walter Reeks–designed vessels; SS Manly (1896), and SS Kuring-gai (1901), which were to become the fore-runners of the Binngarra-class ferries. They both had high forecastles at either to help her run through the deep-sea conditions across the Sydney Heads. The steel-hulled Kuring-gai was larger and she further refined the basic design to be similar to the subsequent and larger Binngarra-class vessels. Manly and Kuring-gai had both, however, followed paddle steamer design with their bridges around the midships funnels. Whereas the Binngarra-class vessels would have their wheelhouses at either end of their promenade decks.

The Binngarra-class" ferries, Binngarra (1905), Burra-Bra (1908), Bellubera (1910), Balgowlah (1912), Barrenjoey (1913), and Baragoola (1922), were designed by Mort's Dock and Engineering, initially under the guidance of former chief draughtsman Andrew Christie. The first five were built at Mort's Woolwich yard and Baragoola was built at the Balmain yard. They were among the largest ships built in Australian yards at the time and, on the admission of Mort's executives, were built by the dock more for prestige than profit. Build costs were higher in Australia than in the United Kingdom, but this was offset by the cost of sailing them out to Australia.

Launched on 6 April 1910 by Mrs J. Fyfe, Bellubera was the third of six Binngarra-type vessels. She was a near identical sister to Barrenjoey (later North Head) and Balgowlah (1912), and similar to the slightly smaller Binngarra (1905), Burra Bra (1908) and Baragoola (1922). She was 499 tons and 64.0 metres (210 ft 0 in) long. As built, she was powered by triple expansion steam engine providing 123 horsepower (92 kW) and was able to make up to 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

The exorbitant cost and difficulty in replacing the large expensive steel hulled Binngarra-type vessels saw the Bellubera, along with the Balgowlah, Barrenjoey, and Baragoola retained and significantly modified. In the 1920s, all four had officers' cabins attached to their wheelhouses. Beginning with Barrenjoey in 1930, and then in 1931-32 Balgowlah, Baragoola, and Bellubera over 1931–32, had their open upper passenger decks enclosed.