Week 2/52 - Fremantle - History in Stone

Welcome everyone to Week 2 of our 52 week tour around Western Australia. This week we travel south from our capital city Perth, to our major port city, Fremantle. I haven't been to Fremantle in a while, so it was fun walking around and taking photos for you this weekend.

Fremantle was established in 1829 as a port for the new Swan River Colony settlement and was the major city in Western Australia for much of its early history. It was here that the first settlers landed on their arrival from England, and it was the first port of call in Australia for many migrants and visitors. Fremantle handles the majority of the State's imports and exports.

Fremantle is a rich mixture of cultures and nationalities -a unique blend of a lively multicultural yet relaxed lifestyle which attracts hundreds of tourists and visitors daily.

Within easy walking and cycling distance, visitors can experience contemporary circus, fine crafts, original music and theatre, exciting galleries, museums, bookshops, buskers, cafes and restaurants, and a lively nightlife. Along with maritime history and extensive architectural conservation, the Arts have become a central part of Fremantle life where visitors can discover the past and present.

Many Arts organisations are housed in historic buildings providing a contemporary use for old warehouses and some of the most spectacular reminders of Fremantle's early history. The University of Notre Dame is also housed across the city in a number of historic buildings.

At the western end of High Street on Arthur Head, a headland overlooking the Indian Ocean is the Round House, Western Australia's oldest building, built as a goal in 1831 two years after the first settlement in Western Australia (the first convicts arrived in 1850). Below you can see the Round House at the end of High Street which is lined with some of the wonderful architecture that is a distinctive part of Fremantle. Underneath the Round House is the Whalers Tunnel built in 1837 by the Fremantle Whaling Company to allow easy access between Fremantle and the ocean.

From Life Images by Jill

This is Fremantle's harbour. In this photo you can see a combination of both old and new - the sailing ship Leeuwin taking passengers for a late afternoon cruise, and a huge container ship being brought into dock by tug boats. Near here is the WA Maritime Museum which amongst other exhibits, houses Australia II, the yacht that brought the America's Cup and the next race series to Fremantle and in doing so pulled Fremantle from a port into the lively bustling city it is today. The Leeuwin is a training ship, which my eldest son went on a voyage from Perth to Albany when he was 16.

From Life Images by Jill

Boats, the water, and fishing are an integral part of Fremantle. Here is the lively waterfront precinct, where you can have a feed of fish and chips almost any time day or night.

From Life Images by Jill

The Fremantle Markets are abuzz with activity and crowds every Saturday and Sunday. It is the place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, gifts, art, clothes, almost anything you can think of. The crowd you see have been watching a street performer.

From Life Images by Jill

The Fremantle Prison dominates the skyline and history of Fremantle. Built from local limestone by convict labour in the 1850s and decommissioned as an operating goal in 1991, and now Heritage Listed, the goal is the largest convict built structure in Western Australia. The photo you see here is the gatehouse. The goal now welcomes thousands of visitors every year - there are numerous tours including a torchlight tour if you are feeling brave, and a tour 20 metres below to explore the labyrinth of tunnels below the prison. The complex also houses the Children's Literacy Centre.

From Life Images by Jill

This next photo is of some of the terrace workers cottages. These ones in the photo are adjacent to the Fremantle Markets. There are many more examples of these terrace houses around Fremantle.

From Life Images by Jill

Many of the early buildings in Fremantle were built of local limestone with decorative wrought iron lace work on their balconies. Between 1890 and 1912, following the discovery of gold in Kalgoorlie many buildings were replaced by the solid buildings we see today, many with very decorative plasterwork scrolls and patterns on their facades. In recent times many of these have been converted into private residences, art spaces, restaurants, shops etc, beautifully restored and retaining the character of Fremantle. The University of Notre Dame also occupies a great number of these buildings across the centre of Fremantle, bringing a young and multicultural vibrancy to Fremantle.

From Life Images by Jill

Detail of one the buildings showing delicate plasterwork.

From Life Images by Jill

One notable building, once the Bond Store.  Built in 1851 from local limestone by convicts to store food, clothing and equipment, and later converted into a Customs House and Bonded Warehouse, it now houses the Maritime Museum where you can see relics of shipwrecks run aground on the Western Australian coast on their way across the Indian Ocean to the Dutch East Indies - a fascinating place to spend a few hours.

From Life Images by Jill High on a hill overlooking Fremantle and the port is the war memorial, remembering those who have lost their lives during war. From Life Images by Jill The sailing ship Leeuwin with the background of the port-

From Life Images by Jill