Fremantle Jockey Club
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for Fremantle is Freo. Prior to British settlement, the indigenous Noongar people inhabited the area for millennia, and knew it by the name of Walyalup ("place of the woylie")."(26/3/2018) Inaugural Woylie Festival starts tomorrow"
fremantle.gov.au. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
Visited by Dutch explorers in the 1600s, Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829, and is named after Captain Charles Fremantle, an English naval officer who claimed the west coast of New Holland as British territory. The settlement struggled in its first decades, and in 1850, with the advent of penal transportation to the colony, Fremantle became Australia's primary destination for convicts. The convict-built Fremantle Prison operated long after transportation ended in 1868, and is now a World Heritage Site. Fremantle was charted as a municipality in 1883, and the following decade its harbour was deepened for commercial shipping, transforming the port into a bustling trade centre and gateway at the height of the Western Australian gold rushes. Declared a city in 1929, Fremantle played a key role in World War II as the largest
submarine base A submarine base is a military base that shelters submarines and their personnel. Examples of present-day submarine bases include HMNB Clyde, Île Longue (the base for France's Force océanique stratégique), Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Na ...
in the Southern Hemisphere. Post-war immigration from Europe, particularly Italy, helped shape Fremantle's character, and it rapidly gentrified after hosting the
1987 America's Cup The 1987 America's Cup was the twenty-sixth challenge for the America's Cup. The American challenger '' Stars & Stripes 87'', sailed by Dennis Conner, beat the Australian defender '' Kookaburra III'', sailed by Iain Murray, in a four-race swee ...
. Today, Fremantle is recognised for its well-preserved
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...
and Edwardian streetscapes and convict-era heritage, and is known as a bohemian enclave with a thriving arts and culinary scene. It is also the traditional home of the Fremantle Football Club, one of two
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
teams based in Western Australia.


History


Indigenous Australians

The original inhabitants of the land on which the city is built are the Whadjuk Noongar people, who called the area ''Walyalup'' ("place of the woylie"). To the local Noongar people, Fremantle is a place of ceremonies, significant cultural practices and trading. For millennia the Noongar people met there in spring and autumn to feast on fish and game. Anglesea Point and the limestone hill area at Arthur Head (where the Round House prison stands) to Point Marquis was called ''Manjaree'', an important meeting place where bush paths converged and a major trading place for Whadjuk and neighbouring Noongars. Today, Whadjuk and other Noongars continue to gather and meet in ''Walyalup'' and at ''Manjaree''.


European settlement and convict era

The first Europeans to visit the site of modern-day Fremantle were Dutch explorers captained by
Willem de Vlamingh Willem Hesselsz de Vlamingh (November 1640 – ) was a Dutch sea captain who explored the central west coast of New Holland (Australia) in the late 17th century, where he landed in what is now Perth on the Swan River. The mission proved fruit ...
, in 1697. They mapped the area and went up the Swan River, and Vlamingh reported that it would be an ideal place for a settlement, although no attempts were made at the time. The area was considered as a site for possible British settlement in 1827, when Captain James Stirling, in , explored the coastal areas near the Swan River. His favourable report was welcomed by the British Government, who had for some time been suspicious of French colonial intentions towards the western portion of Australia. As a result of Stirling's report, Captain Charles Fremantle of , a 603-ton, 28-gun frigate, was instructed to sail to the west coast of Australia to establish a settlement there. On 2 May 1829, Fremantle hoisted the Union Flag in a bay near what is now known as Arthur Head, and in accordance with his instructions, took formal possession "of the whole of the West Coast of New Holland" in the name of Britain's King George IV. Western Australia Day (formerly Foundation Day) is observed on the first Monday in June, although it was actually on 2 June 1829 that Captain James Stirling on arrived with Surveyor-General Roe and the first contingent of immigrants to set up the Swan River Colony. The settlement of Perth began on 12 August 1829. Captain Fremantle left the colony on 25 August after providing much assistance to Stirling in setting up the colony. It was then that Stirling decided to name the port settlement "Fremantle". In early September 1829, the merchant vessel ''Anglesea'' grounded at Gage Roads, at the mouth of the Swan River. She did not break up, as had been expected, but instead survived to become Western Australia's first prison hulk. , which arrived on 10 October 1829, became the second vessel to land immigrants at Fremantle. On 1 June 1850, the first convicts arrived at Fremantle aboard . The thirty-seventh and last convict ship to dock at Fremantle was on 10 January 1868, signalling the end of
penal transportation Penal transportation or transportation was the relocation of convicted criminals, or other persons regarded as undesirable, to a distant place, often a colony, for a specified term; later, specifically established penal colonies became their ...
to Australia. Among the 280 convicts on board were 62 Fenian military and political prisoners—members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood—six of whom managed to escape the Convict Establishment in the Catalpa rescue of 1876. During this period, notorious South Sea pirate Bully Hayes lived in Fremantle with his fiancée Miss Scott, daughter of the Fremantle Harbour Master.


Gateway to the West

In 1897, Irish-born engineer
C. Y. O'Connor Charles Yelverton O'Connor, (11 January 1843 – 10 March 1902), was an Irish engineer who is best known for his work in Western Australia, especially the construction of Fremantle Harbour, thought to be impossible, and the Goldfields Water Sup ...
deepened Fremantle Harbour and removed the limestone bar and sand shoals across the entrance to the Swan River, thus rendering Fremantle a serviceable port for commercial shipping. This occurred at the height of the late 19th-century
Western Australian gold rush In the latter part of the nineteenth century, discoveries of gold at a number of locations in Western Australia caused large influxes of prospectors from overseas and interstate, and classic gold rushes. Significant finds included: * Hall ...
, transforming Fremantle into a capital of trade and gateway for thousands of gold miners to the inland boom towns of Coolgardie,
Kalgoorlie Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...
and Southern Cross. Camels and their Afghan drivers were familiar sights, and by-laws regulating the driving of camels through the streets of Fremantle were enacted. The wealth generated during this period resulted in the construction of several prestigious hotels throughout Fremantle (''see heritage buildings''). Fremantle still serves as the chief general seaport for Western Australia, though far greater tonnages are exported from the iron-ore ports of the Pilbara.


Naval operations

During the Second World War, Fremantle was the home of the largest base for Allied submarines in the Southern Hemisphere, and the second largest in the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
after Pearl Harbor. In the lead-up to and during the war, the port's existing batteries were upgraded and new ones were constructed, forming a coastal defence system referred to as Fremantle Fortress. There were up to 125 US, 31 British and 11 Free Dutch submarines operating out of Fremantle, until the Americans moved forward to the Philippines. One of the first US submarines to arrive in Fremantle, the USS ''Sargo'' (SS-188), was bombed by an Australian Lockheed Hudson, which mistook it for a Japanese vessel. The movements and presence of USS ''Sturgeon'' (SS-187) is a good example of such activity. Fremantle was considered a "veritable Shangri-la" among submariners during the war, however tensions between transient American and non-American soldiers often led to alcohol-fuelled violence. On 11 April 1944, a brawl between American and New Zealand servicemen at the National Hotel resulted in many injuries and the death from stab wounds of two Māori soldiers.


Post-Second World War

The City of Fremantle introduced several urban renewal projects in 2012, encouraging
mixed-use development Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
by increasing the maximum building height on key sites in the CBD, including Kings Square and the inner East End. In January 2013, the City of Fremantle became the first council in Australia to outlaw the use of non-degradable plastic bags within their local area.


Geography

Fremantle lies on a series of limestone hills known by the Nyungar people as ''Booyeembara''; the sandplain to the east is ''Gardoo''. The original vegetation of the area was mainly '' Xanthorrhoea'' and eucalyptus trees, which were traditionally fired annually by the Aboriginal people. The suburb of Fremantle is bounded by the Swan River to the north and north-west, the Indian Ocean to the west, South Street to the south, and the suburbs of East Fremantle and White Gum Valley to the east. The central part of the suburb extends eastwards to include Royal Fremantle Golf Club and a suburban area south of Marmion Street and west of Carrington Street. The City of Fremantle local government area also includes the suburbs of
Beaconsfield Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, west-northwest of central London and south-southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High W ...
,
Hilton Hilton or Hylton may refer to: Companies * Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc., a global hospitality company based in the United States that owns several hotel chains and subsidiary companies containing the Hilton name ** Hilton Hotels & Resorts, fla ...
, North Fremantle, O'Connor, Samson, South Fremantle, and White Gum Valley. East Fremantle has its own town council and is not governed by the City of Fremantle. Fremantle is the end of the Fremantle railway line which runs from Perth to Fremantle, run by the Western Australia's Public Transport Authority. Major highways including
Stirling Highway Stirling Highway is, for most of its length, a four-lane single carriageway and major arterial road between Perth, Western Australia and the port city of Fremantle in Western Australia on the northern side of the Swan River. The speed limit ...
, Canning Highway and Leach Highway have Fremantle as their start point and/or terminus.


Climate

Fremantle has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen: Csa). The regular sea breeze is known as the Fremantle Doctor, as it provides cooling relief from the summer heat when it arrives between noon and 3pm. Fremantle is generally a few degrees cooler than Perth in summer.


Politics

The Fremantle state seat was continuously held by the Australian Labor Party from 1924 until 2009, when it was lost at a by-election to
Greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...
candidate Adele Carles. The seat was returned to Labor ( Simone McGurk) in the 2013 state election. The federal electorate has returned Labor members continuously since 1934, including former Prime Minister John Curtin, and is represented by Josh Wilson. The local government of the City of Fremantle consists of a mayor and council. Brad Pettitt has been the mayor since the 2009 local government elections. Fremantle has been represented by some significant Australian political figures. John Curtin served as Prime Minister during the Second World War, and is often described as one of the nation's greatest political leaders. The state's largest university and a major secondary school in Fremantle are named after him, and his statue stands in Kings Square near the Fremantle Town Hall. A long-serving mayor of the town, Sir Frank Gibson (1919–1923 and 1926–1952), was also a Liberal parliamentarian from 1942 to 1956. Gibson, a pharmacist with a shop in High Street, was admired by all sides of politics for his civic leadership and tireless work for the city, especially during the Second World War, when he is said to have visited every ship that called at the port. He was a leading figure in many civic organisations and his stepson, Dr Roger Dunkley, was medical officer with the 2nd/2nd Independent Company during the Timor campaign in the Second World War. Carmen Lawrence, the first female premier of an Australian state, later represented Fremantle in the federal House of Representatives. Fremantle has seen many industrial conflicts, the most famous of which occurred in 1919 when rioting broke out during the Battle of the Barricades, resulting in one death and many injuries. On 10 November 2006, Australian state and territory attorneys general met in Fremantle to sign the Fremantle Declaration, a restatement and affirmation of legal and human rights principles in Australia. In 2011, Prime Minister
Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013, holding office as leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). She is the first and only ...
launched the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Fremantle as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011, held in Perth 28–30 October.


Heritage buildings

Fremantle is renowned for its well-preserved architectural heritage, including convict-built structures and hundreds of gold rush-era buildings, presenting a variety and unity of historic buildings and streetscapes. These were often built in limestone with ornate façades in a succession of architectural styles. Rapid development following the harbour works gave rise to an Edwardian precinct as merchant and shipping companies built in the west end and on reclaimed land. The Round House, the oldest remaining intact building in Western Australia, was built as a gaol between 1830 and 1831. The Round House had eight cells and a gaoler's residence, which all opened up into a central courtyard. In the 1800s, bay whaling was carried out from Bathers Beach below the Round House. As part of the whaling operations, a tunnel was constructed under the Round House to provide whalers with access to the town from the jetty and beach. The Round House is located in what is now known as Fremantle's West End: a collection of streets characterised by late Victorian and Edwardian architecture. A process of gentrification in the early 1990s was accelerated by the establishment of the University of Notre Dame Australia that occupies, and has restored, many of the buildings in the West End. When the first 75 convicts arrived from Britain in 1850 to support the colony's dwindling population, it became apparent that the Round House was inadequate to house them. The convicts built a new gaol, Fremantle Prison, which was completed in the 1850s and continued to be used as Fremantle's prison until 1991. Fremantle Prison was once one of the most notorious prisons in the British Empire. It housed British convicts, local prisoners, military prisoners, enemy aliens and prisoners of war. On 1 August 2010, a meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Brazil placed Fremantle Prison and 10 other " Australian Convict Sites" on the World Heritage List - making it the first built environment in Western Australia to be bestowed this honour. It continues to be accessible to the public for guided tours and as a venue for artistic and cultural activities. Other convict-built buildings in Fremantle include the 1850s Fremantle School building and Commissariat Buildings, and the Fremantle Arts Centre, constructed in the 1860s from locally quarried limestone. It is a former lunatic asylum building on Ord Street, and is one of Fremantle's most significant landmarks. Today, the imposing Victorian Gothic building and its historic courtyards are used for art exhibitions and music concerts. The Fremantle Markets opened in 1897, forming a precinct providing handicrafts, specialty foods, dining halls and fish and vegetable markets. The area also hosts buskers and other street performers. The then
premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
, Sir John Forrest, laid the foundation stone for the markets on Saturday 6 November 1897. Over 150 stalls are housed in the Victorian-era building, which was listed by the
National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...
and the state's Heritage Council in 1980. The Fremantle Markets are adjacent to several other historic buildings, including the Sail & Anchor Hotel (which contains a
microbrewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
), the Norfolk Hotel, the Warders Cottages, the Fremantle Technical School and Scots Presbyterian Church. Some key historical buildings have been lost to development, while others are only extant thanks to community activism that went against the wishes of developers. For example, the art deco
Oriana Cinema The Oriana Cinema was an art deco cinema and theatre built in 1938 in Fremantle, Western Australia and demolished in the early 1970s. History In 1937, a local company, Hoyts (Fremantle) Pty Ltd (formed by local businessmen and Hoyts Theatres L ...
on the corner of Queen and High streets was demolished in 1972, after only 34 years of operation. This was done to make way for the widening of High Street, but that project was stopped thanks to the campaigning of the Fremantle Society and other community members, and the buildings along the southern side of High Street were retained. The Fremantle Markets nearly suffered a similar fate in the late 1970s due to another road-widening proposal. The National Hotel, one of the city's historic buildings, was almost destroyed by fire on the night of Sunday, 11 March 2007. Though the interior was gutted, the façade was saved and the building has since been fully restored with an additional rooftop bar.


Demographics

In the
2021 Australian census The 2021 Australian census, simply called the 2021 Census, was the eighteenth national Census of Population and Housing in Australia. The 2021 Census took place on 10 August 2021, and was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). T ...
, the local government area of City of Fremantle had a population of 31,930 people. 64.9% of the population was born in Australia, compared with the national average of 67%. Indigenous Australians make up 1.7% of the population, and the largest overseas-born groups come from England (8.5%), Italy (2.3%), New Zealand (2.1%), Scotland (1.2%) and Ireland (1.0%). After English, the most common language spoken at home is Italian (3.2%), followed by French (1.1%), German (1.1%), Spanish (1.0%) and Portuguese (0.8%). As of the 2021 census, Fremantle had an unemployment rate of 5.8%. The city has an above-average proportion of rented dwellings (31.7%, vs 30.6% nationally). 54% of the population had no religion, 19.7% of the population was Catholic, 8.1%
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
and 7.5% not stated.


Education


Tertiary institutions

Fremantle's tertiary education institutions are: * University of Notre Dame Australia – Located in the historic West End of Fremantle, the university's presence has contributed to Fremantle often being referred to as a "university town" typical of the older university towns of Europe and the only one of its type in Australia. The restored historic buildings of the campus lend a distinctive character to Notre Dame and with a growing student community, Notre Dame contributes actively to the city. * South Metropolitan TAFE – South Metropolitan TAFE has multiple campuses in Fremantle, including its main campus in Beaconsfield, the WA Maritime Training Centre at Victoria Quay, and the E-Tech campus located within the city centre. South Metropolitan TAFE offers a broad range of courses from Certificate I to Advanced Diploma level across multiple campuses and across a diverse range of disciplines. *
Curtin University Curtin University, formerly known as Curtin University of Technology and Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), is an Australian public research university based in Bentley, Perth, Western Australia. It is named after John Curtin, ...
Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP) - CUSP was established in January 2008 and is headed by sustainability expert, Professor Peter Newman. CUSP has a strong affinity with Fremantle, which in itself is widely regarded as being at the forefront of sustainable practices. The institute welcomes PhD and Masters by Research students, and is offering a coursework Masters in Sustainability. The city centre is also home to a major teaching hospital, Fremantle Hospital.


Secondary schools

* John Curtin College of the Arts * South Fremantle Senior High School *
Christian Brothers' College Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ (title), Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive ...
(CBC) *Seton Catholic College


Primary schools

* Lance Holt School * Fremantle Primary School * Beaconsfield Primary School * North Fremantle Primary School * St Patrick's Primary School


Economy

Fremantle has a diverse economy, with over 2,000 registered businesses operating across a wide range of sectors. Many of the city's enterprises are small businesses, with 75% employing fewer than five people. Fremantle's biggest employment sector is health care and social assistance – 17.5% of the city's workers are employed in this area, reflecting the important influence of Fremantle Hospital. The transport, postal and warehousing sector employs 12.6% of workers, followed by retail, employing 10.2%. The Local Gross Product of Fremantle was $3,677 million in 2011.


Media

Fremantle is served by a Community Newspaper Group paper, ''The Fremantle - Cockburn Gazette'', and by an independent local newspaper, the ''
Fremantle Herald ''Fremantle Herald'' and similar names have been used for three different newspapers serving Fremantle, Western Australia: ''The Herald'' (1867–1886), ''Fremantle Herald'' (1913–1919) and a current publication, founded in 1989. Colonial '' ...
''. Fremantle also has two radio stations:
Radio Fremantle Radio Fremantle (ACMA callsign: 6CCR) is an Australian community radio station in Western Australia. Established in 1987, the station broadcasts to the City of Fremantle The City of Fremantle is a local government area in the south of Perth ...
on 107.9FM and
91.3 SportFM 91.3 SportFM (ACMA callsign: 6WSM) is an Australian sport-formatted community radio station in Western Australia. Established in 2003, the station broadcasts in the , from studios in Hamilton Hill alongside Radio Fremantle. History The stati ...
. Online reporting and reviews of events and places within Fremantle are comprehensively covered by a group of local designers on their popular blog, known as 'Love Freo', and by a local photographer with his daily updated blog Freo's View.


Culture

Fremantle offers a wide variety of dining experiences, with a strong emphasis on Italian and Asian cuisine as well as seafood. Various cafés and coffee shops are situated around Fremantle, particularly on the 'Cappuccino Strip', a section of South Terrace known for its '' al fresco'' dining culture.O'Brien, Katrina; Swaffer, Andrew. ''West Coast Australia Handbook''. Footprint Travel Guides, 2003. , p. 98 The Fishing Boat Harbour has become a tourist precinct, with a mixture of microbreweries, restaurants and some of Australia's largest fish and chip shops. A number of old buildings on the harbour have been renovated, including Little Creatures Brewery, which occupies a former boat shed and crocodile farm, and contains a café and art gallery. The harbour's annual Fremantle Sardine Festival on Esplanade Park attracts thousands of seafood lovers every year. Other annual events held at the harbour include Araluen's Fremantle Chilli Festival, the Fremantle Boat Show, and the traditional Italian Blessing of the Fleet ceremony. Fremantle—along with the inner suburbs Northbridge, Leederville and Subiaco—is one of Perth's major nightlife hubs. It attracts people from all over the metropolitan region for its pubs, bars and nightclubs. There are several major annual festivals in Fremantle. First held in 1906, the Fremantle Festival is Australia's longest running community festival. International street performers converge for the Fremantle Street Arts Festival, held over the Easter holiday period. The Fremantle Heritage Festival celebrates local history with a variety of events, tours, concerts and workshops. Fremantle is also home to several galleries and museums. The Western Australian Museum has two branches in Fremantle: the Shipwreck Galleries, housed in convict-constructed
commissariat A commissariat is a department or organization commanded by a commissary or by a corps of commissaries. In many countries, commissary is a police rank. In those countries, a commissariat is a police station commanded by a commissary. In some ar ...
buildings and known for its artefacts from the '' Batavia'' and other 17th-century Dutch ships; and the Maritime Museum on Victoria Quay, which contains exhibits related to maritime trade and the Indian Ocean. The Army Museum of Western Australia is housed in an historic Fremantle artillery barracks.


Arts

The city has a large arts community, with a number of small art galleries and musical venues and a community theatre company, Harbour Theatre Inc., which has been performing in the city since 1963. There is also the
J Shed J Shed is a building and collection of artists studios at Arthur Head Reserve, Fremantle. It was built as a warehouse for Fremantle Harbour in the early 20th century, and moved to its present site in the early 1960s. See also * Fremantle Pass ...
situated on Bathers' Beach. J Shed houses four artists studios. Old Customs House, a heritage building just across from the working Fremantle Ports, is home to a not-for-profit artists agency, Artsource, and provides 23 artist studios, and houses several other arts organisations. Known as a music hub, Fremantle has given rise to many notable musicians, including
AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...
frontman Bon Scott, who grew up in the city and whose gravesite at Fremantle Cemetery has become a cultural landmark. A statue of Scott was erected in 2009 at the Fishing Boat Harbour. Dom Mariani also grew up in Fremantle, as did James Baker, and in the mid-1970s, fellow punk rock pioneer Kim Salmon resided at the
Tarantella Night Club The former Tarantella Night Club building, also known as the German Consulate and Norddeutscher-Lloyd Building is a heritage building located at Mouat Street in the Fremantle West End Heritage area. The building dates from the gold rush boom p ...
, where he made his first public performances. John Butler of the John Butler Trio started his music career busking in Fremantle in the 1990s. Alternative rock and folk groups Little Birdy, The Waifs and
Eskimo Joe Eskimo Joe are an Australian alternative rock band that was formed in 1997 by Stuart MacLeod, on lead guitar, Joel Quartermain, on drums and guitar, and Kavyen Temperley, on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia, Austral ...
all have Fremantle connections, and belong to what has been dubbed the 'Freo Sound'. Other notable Fremantle musicians include bassist Martyn P. Casey, psychedelic rock groups Tame Impala and Pond, and indie pop band San Cisco. Songs about Fremantle include the title track of Paul Kelly's 1987 album '' Under the Sun'', The Waifs' 2004 single " Bridal Train", and much of Eskimo Joe's 2004 album ''
A Song is a City ''A Song Is a City'' is the second studio album by Australian Rock music, rock band Eskimo Joe, released on 17 May 2004. The album debuted and peaked at number 2 on the ARIA Charts. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2004, the album was nominated for ...
''. Fremantle is home to a number of independent labels, including Redline Records, co-run by Jebediah frontman and Fremantle-native Kevin Mitchell, and Jarrah Records, co-founded by the John Butler Trio and The Waifs. Music festivals held in Fremantle include the
West Coast Blues & Roots Festival The West Coast Blues 'n' Roots Festival is an annual music festival held in Fremantle, Western Australia, Fremantle, Western Australia. It features many blues and American roots music, roots performers, both international and local. History T ...
, the Fremantle Winter Music Festival, and the
St Jerome's Laneway Festival The St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, commonly referred to as Laneway, began in Caledonian Lane, Melbourne, Australia, in 2005. Beginning as predominantly an indie music event, the festival grew in popularity and expanded to five Australian citie ...
. The Fremantle Eisteddfod, running annually at the
Fremantle Town Hall Fremantle Town Hall is a town hall located in the portside city of Fremantle, Western Australia, and situated on the corner of High, William and Adelaide Streets. The official opening, on 22 June 1887, coincided with the celebration of Victoria ...
, supports young artists with prizes and concerts. Fremantle has served as the setting for several films. '' Windrider'' (1986) was shot in Fremantle and starred Nicole Kidman. In the 2004 film '' Thunderstruck'', four devoted AC/DC fans travel across Australia from Sydney to Fremantle to bury their best friend next to Bon Scott's grave. Shooting for the 2006 film '' Last Train to Freo'' took place outside Fremantle railway station, while scenes in the 2010 musical film '' Bran Nue Dae'' were shot in Fremantle's West End. Other films shot and/or set in Fremantle include '' Wind'' (1992), '' Teesh and Trude'' (2003) and ''
Two Fists, One Heart ''Two Fists, One Heart'' is a 2008 Australian drama film directed by Shawn Seet and written by Rai Fazio, and is based on Fazio's own life growing up. The film is set and was shot in Perth, Western Australia. The film follows Anthony Argo, an ...
'' (2008). The children's television series '' The Sleepover Club'' and '' Streetsmartz'' were set and shot in Fremantle. In 2006, Fremantle Prison was featured on an episode of the American version of '' The Amazing Race''. Episodes of the BBC World documentary television series '' Peschardt's People'' have been filmed in Fremantle, including an episode with Australian actress Toni Collette and another with Fremantle-based English comedian Ben Elton. Actors from Fremantle include Emma Booth, Ewen Leslie, David Frankflin, Mary Ward and Simon Lyndon. Sam Worthington and Megan Gale attended their first acting classes at John Curtin College of the Arts in Fremantle. In 2009, Fremantle model Tahnee Atkinson won the fifth cycle of '' Australia's Next Top Model''.


Sport and recreation

Global attention turned to Fremantle when it hosted the
America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...
yachting race in 1987, after Australia was the first country to ever win the race, aside from the US, in
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...
. The unsuccessful cup defence was conducted on the waters in
Gage Roads Gage Roads is an area in the outer harbour area of Fremantle Harbour in the Indian Ocean offshore from Fremantle, Western Australia. It incorporates a deep water sea channel as part of its function. Gage Roads serves as a shipping lane and ...
, and is considered a hallmark event of the late 20th century revitalisation and gentrification of the city. Fremantle has subsequently served as a stopover in the
Clipper A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. Clippers were generally narrow for their length, small by later 19th century standards, could carry limited bulk freight, and had a large total sail area. "C ...
, Velux and Volvo round-the-world yacht races, and hosted the
2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships The 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships was held in Perth, Western Australia, this was the third edition of the ISAF Sailing World Championships. It is the world championships for all disciplines used at the upcoming Olympics. As it used to a ...
, a major qualifying event for the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
. Organised
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
was first played in Fremantle in the early 1880s with the Fremantle Football Club, a founding member of the West Australian Football Association in 1885. The club disbanded at the end of the 1886 season after winning its first premiership.Devaney, John. ''Full Points Footy's WA Football Companion''. Full Points Publications, 2008. pp. 104–105. . Founded in 1882, the Fremantle-based Unions Football Club entered WAFA in 1886, attracting many players from the original Fremantle club, and went on to dominate the competition with ten premiership victories. The Unions folded in 1899 and were superseded by East Fremantle (1898–), South Fremantle (1900–), and North Fremantle (1901–1915). The East Fremantle Sharks are by far the most successful club in the West Australian Football League, winning a total of 29 premierships.
East Fremantle Oval East Fremantle Oval (known under a sponsorship agreement as New Choice Homes Park and nicknamed "Shark Park",) is an Australian rules football ground located in East Fremantle, Western Australia. The ground was opened in 1906, and underwent a la ...
has been the team's home ground since 1953. Today, Fremantle is represented in the
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
by the
Fremantle Dockers The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Dockers, is a professional Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The team was founded in 1994 to represent the port city of ...
, who previously trained at the heritage-listed
Fremantle Oval Fremantle Oval, also known by naming rights sponsorship as Fremantle Community Bank Oval, is a stadium in the centre of Fremantle, Western Australia, located on Parry Street. It currently has a capacity of 17,500 with terracing and a members ...
, shared with South Fremantle, and play their home matches at Perth Stadium (also known as Optus Stadium) in Burswood. The club's main rivalry is with the Perth-based West Coast Eagles. In 2013, the Dockers played in (and lost) their first Grand Final. Founded in 1887, the Fremantle District Cricket Club competes in the Western Australian Grade Cricket competition, and plays its home fixtures at Fremantle's Stevens Reserve. The club has produced a number of Test players including Graeme Wood, Brad Hogg, Geoff Marsh and sons Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh. Three Fremantle
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
teams compete in Football West State League competitions: Fremantle Spirit, Fremantle United and the Fremantle Croatia Soccer Club. Fremantle is home to five beaches: Bathers Beach, River Beach,
South Beach South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard. This area was the fi ...
, Leighton Beach and Port Beach. The city's strong afternoon sea breeze, known locally as the Freo Doctor, has made its beaches a prime location for wind and kite surfing. The Fremantle
Surf Life Saving Club Surf Life Saving Clubs (or SLSCs) are volunteer institutions at Australia's beaches.{{cite news, last1=Moody, first1=Sherele, title=Surf Life Saving Australia: Safety at the beach isn't cheap, url=https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/Being-sa ...
has been active since the 1930s. Fishing takes place at the many jetties and groynes surrounding Challenger, Success Boat and Fishing Boat harbours, and along
Blackwall Reach Blackwall Reach (''Jenalup'' in Noongar) is a section of the Swan River in Western Australia. Blackwall Reach was named after an area of the River Thames near Greenwich UK in 1896 by Commander L. S. Dawson RN, Admiralty Surveyor. The name orig ...
at the Swan River, which is also used for
canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
,
rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
and cliff diving.Hayes, Joshua (12 May 2006)
"Perth's best kept secrets"
, ''3rd Degree'', Edith Cowan University Journal. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
A chain of islands listed as A Class nature reserves lie within 20 km (12 mi) of Fremantle, and are accessible by
ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
or private boat. The largest and most well-known island is Rottnest Island, followed by Garden Island and Carnac Island. Each island is home to endemic flora and fauna, and provide opportunities for water-based activities such as sunbathing,
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
, snorkelling and scuba diving.


Transportation

Fremantle is home to Western Australia's largest working port. The Inner Harbour, in Fremantle itself, handles almost the entire container trade for the state, as well as livestock exports, motor vehicle imports and general cargo. Located fifteen kilometres south of Fremantle, at Kwinana, the Outer Harbour is one of Australia's major bulk cargo ports, handling a variety of bulk commodities, from grain to LPG. The city is the western terminus of the direct, electrified passenger railway service from the Perth CBD. Fremantle was the starting point of railways in the metropolitan area of Perth, the Fremantle railway line being the starting point of the first railway in 1881 to
Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...
. Major highways, the
Stirling Highway Stirling Highway is, for most of its length, a four-lane single carriageway and major arterial road between Perth, Western Australia and the port city of Fremantle in Western Australia on the northern side of the Swan River. The speed limit ...
, Canning Highway and Leach Highway connect Fremantle to the Perth CBD. Passenger ferries operate from the port, travelling to Rottnest Island, 22 kilometres off of the coast in the Indian Ocean, and upriver to Perth city centre. Fremantle's free Central Area Transit (CAT) bus services are popular and practical ways to get around, with one service (Blue CAT) linking key points in the city and to Fremantle's inner suburbs.


Health

The major health service facility in Fremantle is Fremantle Hospital, located at Alma Street, a short walk from the city centre. Fremantle Hospital is a 450-bed major acute-care teaching hospital with important tertiary links. The 24-hour emergency department was closed in 2015. It is Western Australia's referral hospital for diving and hyperbaric medicine, and has a cardiothoracic surgery centre and nuclear medicine department. It also has a 66-bed mental health facility. As a tertiary teaching hospital, Fremantle Hospital provides almost all specialty services on site and clinical services are backed by an extensive teaching program. As well as routine departmental and hospital-wide teaching, formal postgraduate courses are offered. Emergency nursing, critical care nursing, perioperative nursing and infection control courses are held regularly and a postgraduate weekend for general practitioners is held every October.


Sister and friendship cities

Fremantle has sister city relationships with five cities and friendship city relationships with three cities.Sister cities and international relations
, fremantle.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
Some of the relationships reflect Fremantle's historic migrant population. They are (in chronological order): * Seberang Perai, Malaysia (since 1978) * Yokosuka,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
(since 1979) * Capo d'Orlando, Italy (since 1983) * Molfetta, Italy (since 1984) * Funchal, Portugal (since 1996) Fremantle also has friendship-city relationships with three cities: * Padang, Indonesia (since 1996) *
Surabaya Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
, Indonesia (since 1996) * Korčula, Croatia (since 1999)


See also

* List of people from Fremantle


Notes


References

*Favenc, Ernest (1908) ''The Explorers of Australia and Their Life-work''. (Whitcombe and Tombs). *Goulding, Dot (2007) ''Recapturing Freedom: Issues Relating to the Release of Long-term Prisoners into the Community''. (Hawkins Press).


External links


Fremantle Chamber of Commerce

Fremantle Local Tourist Guide

Fremantle Port Authority

Fremantle Tourism
{{Authority control 1829 establishments in Australia Populated places established in 1829