Star date 19/5/26
Fremantle (affectionately known as “Freo”) is a vibrant, historic port city in Western Australia, located just 30 minutes south-west of central Perth. Renowned for its maritime history, preserved 19th-century architecture, and creative arts culture, it sits where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean.
Fremantle Prison: A UNESCO World Heritage-listed site and the state’s only built convict prison. You can take history, torchlight, or underground tunnel tours. It would have been awesome to have been able to do a tour of the prison but dogs are not allowed.
It was original known at The Establishment, was built by convict labour between 1852 and 1859, the first prisoners moved into the cell block in 1855. Its name was later changed to Fremantle Prison in 1867, it remained in continual use until 1991.
From 1788 to 1868 over 167,000 men, women and children were transported from Great Britain to Australia as punishment for their crimes. For Britain transportation was not only a penal sentence but also a means of expanding it’s geopolitical influence. It further provided an avenue for British authorities to displace people from the lower classes, whom they labelled as undesirable, to the Australian colonies.
Surgeon Residence.
Magistrates Residence.
Monument Hill Reserve, Fremantle’s War Memorial. The main memorial at 14m in height is constructed from Donnybrook stone, was built and funded by the citizens of Fremantle in 1928 to commemorate the 59,330 Australians killed or posted as missing in action in WW1.
Fremantle is one of Western Australia’s most historic destinations. With its well-preserved heritage buildings, convict history. We were astounded at the how many amazing beautiful heritage buildings there were just in the main city area. Everywhere we looked down side streets, along the main street. All still in amazing condition and being used still by businesses. You could spend several days exploring them all.
Whalers Tunnel, In 1837, the Fremantle Whaling Company dug a tunnel through the cliff under the Round House so they could move whale oil from the beach directly to Fremantle’s main street.
Fremantle Round House is the city’s oldest public building, built in 1831. Originally used as a prison for convicts and colonial lawbreakers, the Round House has since been preserved as a historical site, offering visitors a glimpse into Fremantle’s early colonial history.
There is a daily Cannon Firing Ceremony at 1:00 pm, a tradition that dates back to the 19th century when it was used to signal ships in the harbour to set their timepieces.
The Roundhouse offers fantastic views over the Indian Ocean.
Live Long and Prosper 🖖🏿