Tasmania Police Academy, Rokeby
and the Launceston satellite course

The Tasmania Police Academy at Rokeby turned 50 on 6 March 2026, with 2,926 graduates since it opened. It's a small academy for a small force, but the force is at a record size: the government cited 1,479 officers in July 2026. Classes are small too; Course 1/2026 graduated 19 constables.

Two features make Tasmania different. Recruits earn credit towards a university degree while they train, completing 15 of the 24 units of a UTAS Bachelor of Social Science (Police Studies). And on some intakes, northern recruits can train mainly in Launceston rather than relocating to Hobart for the whole course.

The Academy is on South Arm Road, Rokeby, on Hobart's eastern shore. Its facilities include a scenario simulation house, accommodation, a gymnasium, library and auditorium.

Living in is optional, but board is charged

Tasmania Police says recruits aren't required to live in. But every recruit is allocated a room and pays a board fee of $225 a fortnight for accommodation and meals, subject to change. Uniforms are supplied.

The northern recruit course

On some intakes a northern course runs at the University of Tasmania's Newnham campus in Launceston. It's delivered online, by live-streamed classes and face to face at Newnham. Recruits travel to Rokeby in one-week blocks for training and assessment. North-west recruits are offered subsidised accommodation in the Launceston CBD and will likely be posted to their home district.

The recruit course is 28 weeks, including six weeks of practical training at a police station. Some older material says 31 weeks; the recruitment FAQ and the police minister in July 2026 both say 28.

1. 1

   Academy training

   ≈22 weeks

   Classroom and practical training at Rokeby (or the northern course), with written and practical exams.

2. 2

   Station placement

   6 weeks

   Six weeks of practical training at a police station, with a mentor.

3. 3

   Graduation

   Week 28

   You graduate as a Constable and start at a 24-hour station.

4. 4

   UTAS degree

   Credit

   The course earns 15 of the 24 units of the Bachelor of Social Science (Police Studies), about two thirds of the degree.

The degree credit is worth having. Our data notes that a Constable who earns an approved bachelor's degree by independent study before appointment moves to Level 3 after probation, so check with Tasmania Police whether finishing the UTAS degree later affects your pay level.

Two thirds of a university degree, earned while you're paid to train.

Tasmania Police doesn't publish a subject list we could read. Search extracts of its pages mention operational skills, firearms, urgent duty driver training and family violence, but we couldn't confirm a full curriculum.

Ask the Academy for the unit outline if you want to prepare in advance. The UTAS units will have published unit descriptions.

The Academy life page says recruits sit written and practical exams, report-writing and communication assessments, and are assessed on their station placement with a mentor. Education advisors support recruits who need help.

Entry fitness standard

The entry test is a good baseline for Academy physical training. Note that Tasmania scores several tests on bands and publishes what counts as strong.

Our Tasmania Police fitness test guide explains each test and the conflicting BMI rule.

Recruits are paid as Trainee Constables: $61,801 a year under Police Award No. 2 of 2026 (from the 1 December 2025 pay date), rising to $63,655 from December 2026. Several recruitment pages still show the older $60,001 rate, which is out of date.

Overtime isn't payable to academy-accommodated trainees under the award. Compare Tasmania with the other forces in our recruit pay comparison.

Tasmania charges no course fees for the Academy. But according to the recruitment FAQ, recruits are allocated a room and pay board even though living in isn't required, and it adds up.

Board takes about 11% of a trainee's fortnightly take-home, by our calculation. That's cheaper than Victoria's live-in rate, but dearer than the free rooms in NSW, Queensland and the AFP.

Tasmania Police says a typical day runs from 6:30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, with some weekend and later shifts. That's the earliest start among the academy hours we found published.

The hours, leave rule and assessment types are Tasmania Police's. The order of the day is our general guide, not an official timetable.

Tasmania Police publishes its commencement schedule. Intakes marked with Launceston include the northern course.

Graduates work at a 24-hour police station for at least two years, on rotating shifts, with the first year on probation. Stations include Hobart, Glenorchy, Bridgewater, Bellerive, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie. Course 1/2026's 19 graduates went to Burnie, Bridgewater, Devonport, Hobart and Launceston.

The jump is large: about 52% on trainee pay once the 28% allowance for 24-hour rosters is added. You move to Level 2 after 12 months, subject to probation and a satisfactory assessment. Our Tasmania police salary guide shows every level.

Your first two years will be at a 24-hour station, but Tasmania Police has a long list of country stations, and the award makes them financially attractive. It's worth knowing about them early, especially if you're from a rural area and want to return.

A Constable at a designated country station is paid at least the Level 6 rate plus the 37% allowance, which puts a young officer well ahead of the same rank in Hobart. None of this applies during training, but it's a real reason some recruits choose Tasmania.

Sworn officers with at least two years' post-probation service in Australia or New Zealand, who left less than four years ago, can do the 12-week Accelerated Training Program instead. It covers Tasmanian law and policy, physical training, firearms and operational safety.

See our Tasmania joining guide for the full entry process.

Tasmania's course is mid-length with mid-range trainee pay, but board and a lower base salary are offset by the 28% shift allowance at a 24-hour station.