Challenger Harbour is a

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or ...

Fremantle 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 ...

, Western Australia adjacent to the

Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour is a marina in Fremantle, Western Australia adjacent to the more recently constructed Challenger Harbour. It provides large sheltered mooring areas and wharf space for vessels up to 60 metres, refuelling facil ...

. The harbour

breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island, Antarctica * Breakwater Islands, Nunavut, Canada * Br ...

covers the historical site of the

Fremantle Long Jetty Fremantle Long Jetty was constructed in 1873 to replace the smaller South Jetty which had become too small for the large amounts of vessels entering the colony in Western Australia. The jetty lies in Bather's Bay which has been an occupation ...

. The harbour was named after HMS ''Challenger'', which was under the command of Captain

Charles Fremantle Admiral Sir Charles Howe Fremantle GCB RN (1 June 1800 – 25 May 1869) was a renowned British Royal Navy officer. The city of Fremantle, Western Australia, is named after him. Early life Fremantle was the second son of Thomas Fremantle, an ...

when, on 2 May 1829, he hoisted the British flag on

Arthur Head Arthur Head (also known as Arthur's Head) in Fremantle, Western Australia, is a former large limestone headland on the southern side of the mouth of the Swan River, now also the entry to Fremantle Harbour Fremantle Harbour is Western Au ...

, the south head of the mouth of the Swan River, to mark the establishment of the

Swan River Colony The Swan River Colony, also known as the Swan River Settlement, or just Swan River, was a British colony established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. This initial settlement place on the Swan River was soon named Perth, and it ...

. The harbour was built for 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 sweep ...

in 1983–84 and included facilities specifically for the associated

12-Metre The 12 Metre class is a rating class for racing sailboats that are designed to the International rule. It enables fair competition between boats that rate in the class whilst retaining the freedom to experiment with the details of their designs. ...

class racing yachts. A stone breakwater protected the harbour from the ocean. It has since been modified for recreational vessels only, with seven jetties (including one jetty leased to the Fremantle Cruising Yacht Club and four jetties leased to the

Royal Perth Yacht Club The Royal Perth Yacht Club (RPYC) is a yacht club in Perth, Western Australia. It is the third oldest yacht club in Australia after the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

), as well as short-term serviced apartments. Pens range in size from up to . The marina is owned and administered by the Western Australian

Department of Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...

. In January 1999 the

Fremantle Sea Rescue The Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group Inc, or Fremantle Sea Rescue (FSR), is a volunteer lead marine search and rescue service based in Fremantle, Western Australia. It operates continuously and responds to approximately 700 incidents a year. ...

's communications centre was sited at the harbour, until a 2016 move to the former signal station on Cantonment Hill.

References

Marinas in Australia Fremantle 1987 America's Cup {{Fremantle-stub