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Fremantle is one of Western Australia’s lovely towns along the Indian Ocean coast. The location provides a wealth of opportunities for recreation and activities by and in the water; eg boat trips to Rottnest Island, swimming and surfing.
Fremantle’s history is interesting, and you can see some buildings from the 19th century, where the city was founded at about the same time as the metropolitan city of Perth, which Fremantle today is the suburb and port city of. Since then the development has gone strong, but in the streets there are beautiful sights like houses from, for example, the Victorian era.
Sea life as a port city characterizes Fremantle, and you can go boating in the harbor and along the Swan River, which connects Fremantle with Perth by water. Another delightful experience is a tour with the Fremantle Tram Tour sightseeing car, passing by the most important places in the city.
On a trip to Fremantle, it is also natural to visit Perth, Western Australia’s metropolis. The skyscrapers can be seen from a long distance, and there are metropolitan activities with shopping centers, business districts and interesting museums that depict the history of the area.
Walyalup Koort is the name of Fremantle’s central square, also known as Kings Square, as it was called from 1833 to 2021. Walyalup Koort means the heart of Fremantle in the local Aboriginal Nyoongar language. The site was already laid out in John Septimus Roe’s town plan for Fremantle from 1833.
Buildings were erected around what was from the beginning the center of the city. Landowners around the square were given permission in 1840 to build a church in Kings Square and they built Saint John’s Church of England which opened in 1843. Over the years the need for a larger church grew and the present Saint John’s Church was built and opened in 1882.
The church owned land at Kings Square and to finance the new church it had sold a piece of land to the city council. It was built in 1885-1887 with Fremantle’s town hall, the Town Hall, which still stands prominently in the streetscape. To the south, Walyalup Koort opens into High Street and William Street, which are also worth seeing; among others with the Federal Hotel from 1887.
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High Street is Fremantle’s main street, and here there is a fine atmosphere from the city’s history. It can especially be experienced in the so-called Fremantle West End Heritage Area, which dates back to 1829, when the site was chosen as the port of entry and passage to the Swan River Colony.
The Fremantle West End Heritage Area is a homogeneous built-up area with low-rise buildings, which were mostly built in the 1800s and early 1900s. The streets originated when John Septimus Roe drew up Fremantle’s town plan in 1833 with High Street as the main street.
The High Street connected The Round House to Kings Square and buildings sprang up along the street which was paved in 1858. Plans for the city and the street were grand and in 1905 Fremantle’s trams started rolling through the High Street. They were in operation in the street until 1952.
You can still see the old tram cars all the way to the west with street number 1. If you go east from here, you pass many old buildings such as Hotel Fremantle with number 6, Bank of New South Wales with number 7, P&O Hotel with number 25, Orient Hotel with number 39, Commercial Hotel with number 80 and National Hotel with number 98 as some of the highlights.
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Fremantle Prison is a former prison building that was listed as one of the major historical monuments in Western Australia. The prison’s history and importance to the then colony’s development were contributing factors to Fremantle Prison being the first building in Western Australia to be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The prison was built in the 1850s as the last in Australia for occasional convicts. It was originally used to house convicts who came by transport from Great Britain, but it was transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for the use of locally sentenced prisoners. The prison closed in 1991, being replaced by the new Casuarina High Security Prison.
Fremantle Prison is located on a large area and consists of many different buildings. The prison was built with walls around the main cell block and the women’s prison section. You entered through the prison’s gate building, and in that area and outside the walls were houses for workers in the prison. Workshops were also built on the prison grounds.
The Main Cell Block was designed to hold up to 1,000 prisoners and has changed very little since its construction in the 1850s. At each end there were so-called dormitories where as many as 80 men slept in hammocks, either as a reward for good behavior or because they would soon receive their leave ticket. In this main block there were also isolation cells, two chapels and other furnishings.
The prison eventually became overcrowded, and therefore the New Division was built in the years 1904-1907. The women’s prison was built as the Main Cell Block in the 1850s, but the building was originally designed as a kitchen, bakery and laundry. It became a women’s prison as the need for cells increased.
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Fremantle Markets is one of Fremantle’s most renowned sites. It is a market located in the city’s old market building, which in Victorian style opened its doors in 1898. You can still experience a wonderful atmosphere in the old building’s many shops.
The market building was designed by Joseph Herbert Eales and Charles Oldham in the Federation Romanesque, a Neo-Romanesque style often used in Australia in the period from 1890 to 1915. It was the Prime Minister of Western Australia at the time who laid the foundation stone.
The market buildings functioned as a wholesale market for food and raw materials until the 1950s, after which they were used for a period as a packing house and for distribution. In 1975, the Fremantle Markets were renovated by the city government, and then a market was set up again in the old setting.
Fremantle Railway Station is the fine railway station building in the port city of Fremantle. The first railway station opened in 1881 as the terminus of the Eastern Railway’s line between Fremantle and Guildford. The current station building was built and opened in 1907.
If you take the train to Fremantle today, you can already get an impression of the city’s historic charm at Fremantle Railway Station. It contains many beautiful details such as the grandiose toilets. The station then also played an important role as a connection to, for example, mining towns.
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The Western Australian Maritime Museum is a modern and exciting maritime museum that tells about the importance of Fremantle and the region as a port city and destination for shipping. The museum is located in a fine setting by the water on Victoria Quay, which was built in the 1890s.
The museum contains exhibits with themes such as the Indian Ocean, the Swan River, fishing, maritime trade and naval defense. This provides a thorough review of relevant themes, and at the same time provides insight into an important part of Fremantle’s history.
One of the highlights of the museum is the yacht Australia II, which won the America’s Cup in 1983. Immediately next to the WA Maritime Museum you can see HMAS Ovens, an Oberon-class submarine. Open for guided tours, the submarine is a symbol of the Second World War Allied submarine base at Fremantle, which was the largest in the southern hemisphere.
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Fishing Boat Harbor is Fremantle’s old fishing harbor and the atmosphere is fantastic in the vibrant harbor area. You can walk on the piers and enjoy the view of the water and the fishing boats. There are also a number of restaurants and cafes for the many visitors to the harbour.
The harbor was established in 1919, when a 300-metre-long pier was built, which provided calm waters for fishing boats. The harbor was later expanded, and over the years it also accommodated various industries and services in connection with fishing.
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Shipwreck Galleries is a museum of Australian West Coast shipwrecks. Through the collections and exhibitions, you come across deadly stories of voyages of discovery, trade, mutinies and disasters at sea.
The museum is housed in the Commissariat Building, which was built in the 1850s and which stands in its historic splendor. Here there are hundreds of relics from ships that have been wrecked along the treacherous coastline over time. This applies, for example, to the original timber from Batavia, which sank in 1629.
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The Round House is the name of Western Australia’s oldest building. The structure was also the first permanent structure to be built in the then quite new Swan River Colony. The building was designed by the colonial engineer Henry Willey Reveley and erected in 1830-1831.
The Round House was built as a prison based on a panopticon principle, but with eight cells it eventually proved too small. It was used as a prison for prisoners until 1886, when it was used by the police, before being converted into a residence in 1900. Since 1966, the building has been open to the public.
Perth is the largest city in Western Australia and also the capital of the state of Western Australia. The city is named after Perth in Scotland, and with more than two million inhabitants in the metropolitan area, it has grown rapidly from its founding in 1829 to the present.
Perth offers a wide variety of sights and activities. The city’s skyscrapers in the central business district tower up and create a beautiful skyline that can be seen from many of the city’s recreational areas. In Perth, there are large parks and water that serve as oases for both citizens and tourists.
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The Swan Valley is an area located along the course of the Swan River northeast of Perth. The area is known for its fertile soil, uncommon in the Perth region, and the Swan Valley has also become a major excursion destination.
Popular locations include several wineries ranging in volume from small family-owned businesses to some of Western Australia’s largest producers. In addition to the wines, you can find microbreweries and the purchase of agricultural products such as grapes, melons, strawberries and more.
The history of the wine region started already in the 1800s, when settlers sailed up the Swan River to find new fertile lands they could cultivate. The climate with Western Australia’s many hours of sunshine and the soils produce lovely wines that you can taste on a trip here.
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Rottnest Island is an island known for having some of Australia’s best beaches and diving areas. The island lies in the Indian Ocean west of Perth and Fremantle, and it is easy to sail to Rottnest Island from, for example, central Perth.
Rottnest Island was separated from the Australian mainland approximately 7,000 years ago when sea levels rose. Much older evidence of human activity has been found on the island, which today is known for its lovely nature. In the island’s many bays, for example, you can find warm and shallow water, so that all swimmers can participate, and there is a rich wildlife here.
However, the island’s recent history is also interesting. When the British established the Swan River Colony in 1829, they also established themselves on Rottnest Island to cultivate the island. From 1838 to 1931, the remote island was also used as a prison and labor camp for Aboriginal people.
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Rockingham is a town by the sea, situated as a southern suburb of the big city of Perth. The city is a lovely place, known for its beaches and many maritime opportunities. You can, for example, go on boat or fishing trips from the harbor in Rockingham, and surfing is also popular here.
The name Rockingham comes from one of the three ships that Thomas Peel chartered to sail settlers to Western Australia. Rockingham came to the area on 14 May 1830 and it then drifted out to sea and sank after several attempts to save the ship. Some of the arrivals reportedly settled on the shore at the wreck site and it became Rockingham.
Today you can enjoy the atmosphere and the walks along the Indian Ocean. You can also go for a walk to Rockingham Naval Memorial Park, a military monument along the water north of town. In the park there are several commemorative plaques and you can see a gun turret from HMAS Derwent and a submarine fin from HMAS Orion.
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New Norcia is Australia’s only monastic town. It was founded by a group of Benedictine monks in 1847, and with its many historic buildings, it gives an impression of former Spanish colonies. It was also the Spanish monks Giuseppe Serra and Rosendo Salvado who started the settlement of the mission town.
New Norcia was named after Italian Norcia, which was the birthplace of Saint Benedict. Monks had been in contact with Aborigines for two years before the foundation, and they decided that it was better to establish a mission than to follow the Aborigines’ journey, and thus New Norcia became a reality.
Today, New Norcia continues to consist of the many monastic buildings that stand as a special attraction in the Australian nature. You can start by visiting the New Norcia Visitor Centre, located in the old monastery, and from here you can take a walk past the girls’ school St Gertrude’s College and the boys’ school St Ildephonsus’ College.
In the same area you can see the old New Norcia Hotel, where parents of children at the convent schools could stay. If you go east of New Norcia Road, you will come to the mission’s abbey church and the large monastery building. There is informative signage in the area, where there are also workshops and other service buildings for the monastery.
Henderson Street/South Terrace
fremantlemarkets.com.au
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King’s Square, Essex Street, High Street, Market Street
Fremantle Tram Tour
King’s Square, Fremantle
fremantletrams.com
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Western Australian Maritime Museum
Victoria Quay, Fremantle
museum.wa.gov.au/maritime
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Perth Zoo
Labouchere Road, Perth
perthzoo.wa.gov.au
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Scitech Discovery Center
Sutherland Street, Perth
scitech.org.au
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Aqwa
Sorrento Quay, Hillarys Boat Harbor, Perth
aqwa.com.au/main.asp
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Adventure World
179 Progress Drive, Bibra Lake, Perth
adventureworld.net.au
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Three Dutch ships had anchored up off Fremantle as early as 1696-1697. It was at Rottnest Island that they named at that occasion, just as the Dutch named the Swan River from which they had taken land recognition.Â
Fremantle was founded as the first town along the Swan River. It was in 1829 when Captain Charles Fremantle hoisted the flag of the United Kingdom as a sign that the area was British and that the new settlement was founded. Shortly after, the first buildings were built, among other, the Round House prison from 1830-1831, now the oldest preserved building in Western Australia.
When prisoners were sent to the colonies Fremantle and Perth to expand the settlements, the large prison, Fremantle Prison, was established. In the following decades, many new public buildings, hotels and other facilities were built, which made an ambitious port city.
In 1891 Fremantle’s port was dug deeper at the initiative of Irish engineer Charles Yelverton O’Connor. This enabled the city to be navigated by larger ships, which gave new growth to the city and to Perth, a short distance up the Swan River.Â
During World War II, Fremantle was established as a submarine base for the Western powers. Before the US set up bases in the Philippines, more than 150 American, British and French submarines took off from here.
In line with Perth’s growth, Fremantle also evolved through the 20th century. However, the city is much smaller than the nearby capital, and it has thus retained much of its historic center, where no high-rise buildings have been constructed.
In 1987, the prestigious sailings for America’s Cup Trophy was held in Fremantle. Thus the city was shown to the whole world. Today, this event is described at the city’s Maritime Museum which is one of the places to see when in town.
Overview of Fremantle
Fremantle is one of Western Australia’s lovely towns along the Indian Ocean coast. The location provides a wealth of opportunities for recreation and activities by and in the water; eg boat trips to Rottnest Island, swimming and surfing.
The city’s history is interesting, and you can see some buildings from the 19th century, where the city was founded at about the same time as metropolitan Perth, which it today is the suburb and port city of. Since then the development has gone strong, but in the streets there are beautiful sights like houses from, for example, the Victorian era.
About the upcoming Fremantle travel guide
About the travel guide
The Fremantle travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Australian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Fremantle is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Fremantle and Australia
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Fremantle you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
King’s Square • Fremantle Markets • Sandy beaches • Swan Valley
Overview of Fremantle
Fremantle is one of Western Australia’s lovely towns along the Indian Ocean coast. The location provides a wealth of opportunities for recreation and activities by and in the water; eg boat trips to Rottnest Island, swimming and surfing.
The city’s history is interesting, and you can see some buildings from the 19th century, where the city was founded at about the same time as metropolitan Perth, which it today is the suburb and port city of. Since then the development has gone strong, but in the streets there are beautiful sights like houses from, for example, the Victorian era.
About the upcoming Fremantle travel guide
About the travel guide
The Fremantle travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Australian city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Fremantle is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Fremantle and Australia
Buy the travel guide
Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.
Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Fremantle you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.
Fremantle Railway Station is the fine railway station building in the port city of Fremantle. The first railway station opened in 1881 as the terminus of the Eastern Railway’s line between Fremantle and Guildford. The current station building was built and opened in 1907.
If you take the train to Fremantle today, you can already get an impression of the city’s historic charm at Fremantle Railway Station. It contains many beautiful details such as the grandiose toilets. The station then also played an important role as a connection to, for example, mining towns.
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The Western Australian Maritime Museum is a modern and exciting maritime museum that tells about the importance of Fremantle and the region as a port city and destination for shipping. The museum is located in a fine setting by the water on Victoria Quay, which was built in the 1890s.
The museum contains exhibits with themes such as the Indian Ocean, the Swan River, fishing, maritime trade and naval defense. This provides a thorough review of relevant themes, and at the same time provides insight into an important part of Fremantle’s history.
One of the highlights of the museum is the yacht Australia II, which won the America’s Cup in 1983. Immediately next to the WA Maritime Museum you can see HMAS Ovens, an Oberon-class submarine. Open for guided tours, the submarine is a symbol of the Second World War Allied submarine base at Fremantle, which was the largest in the southern hemisphere.
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Fishing Boat Harbor is Fremantle’s old fishing harbor and the atmosphere is fantastic in the vibrant harbor area. You can walk on the piers and enjoy the view of the water and the fishing boats. There are also a number of restaurants and cafes for the many visitors to the harbour.
The harbor was established in 1919, when a 300-metre-long pier was built, which provided calm waters for fishing boats. The harbor was later expanded, and over the years it also accommodated various industries and services in connection with fishing.
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Shipwreck Galleries is a museum of Australian West Coast shipwrecks. Through the collections and exhibitions, you come across deadly stories of voyages of discovery, trade, mutinies and disasters at sea.
The museum is housed in the Commissariat Building, which was built in the 1850s and which stands in its historic splendor. Here there are hundreds of relics from ships that have been wrecked along the treacherous coastline over time. This applies, for example, to the original timber from Batavia, which sank in 1629.
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The Round House is the name of Western Australia’s oldest building. The structure was also the first permanent structure to be built in the then quite new Swan River Colony. The building was designed by the colonial engineer Henry Willey Reveley and erected in 1830-1831.
The Round House was built as a prison based on a panopticon principle, but with eight cells it eventually proved too small. It was used as a prison for prisoners until 1886, when it was used by the police, before being converted into a residence in 1900. Since 1966, the building has been open to the public.
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