Fremantle | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Fremantle .jpg) Cargo ship in Fremantle Harbour | |
  Fremantle Location in Perth | |
| Coordinates:32°03′15″S115°44′51″E / 32.0542°S 115.7475°E /-32.0542; 115.7475 (Fremantle) | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Western Australia |
| LGA | |
| Location |
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| Established |
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| Government | |
| • State electorate | |
| • Federal division | |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (AWST) |
| Postcode | 6160 |
Fremantle (/ˈfriːmæntəl/;Nyungar:Walyalup) is a port city inWestern Australia located at the mouth of theSwan River in the metropolitan area ofPerth, the state capital.Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. TheWestern Australian vernacular diminutive for Fremantle isFreo.[1]
Prior to British settlement, the indigenousNoongar people inhabited the area for millennia, and knew it by the name of Walyalup ("place of thewoylie").[2] Visited byDutch explorers in the 1600s, Fremantle was the first area settled by theSwan River colonists in 1829,[3]: 11 and is named after CaptainCharles Fremantle, an English naval officer who claimed the west coast ofNew Holland as British territory.[4] The settlement struggled in its first decades, and in 1850, with the advent ofpenal transportation to the colony, Fremantle became Australia's primary destination forconvicts. The convict-builtFremantle Prison operated long after transportation of convicts ended in 1868, and is now aWorld Heritage Site.
Fremantle was charted asa 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 theWestern Australian gold rushes. Declared a city in 1929,[5] Fremantle played a key role inWorld War II as the largestsubmarine base in the Southern Hemisphere. Post-war immigration from Europe, particularlyItaly, helped shape Fremantle's character, and it rapidly gentrified after hosting the1987 America's Cup sailing competition. Today, Fremantle is recognised for its well-preservedVictorian andEdwardian streetscapes and convict-era architecture, and is known as abohemian enclave with a thriving arts and culinary scene. It is also the traditional home of theFremantle Football Club, one of twoAustralian Football League teams based in Western Australia.
The original inhabitants of the land on which the city is built are theWhadjukNoongar people, who called the areaWalyalup[6] ("place of thewoylie").[2] To the local Noongar people, Fremantle is a place of ceremonies, significant cultural practices and trading. For millennia theNoongar people met there in spring and autumn to feast on fish and game.[3]: 11
Anglesea Point and thelimestone hill area atArthur Head (where theRound House prison stands) to Point Marquis was calledManjaree, an important meeting place[7] where bush paths converged and a major trading place for Whadjuk and neighbouring Noongars. Today, Whadjuk and other Noongars continue to gather and meet inWalyalup and atManjaree.
The first Europeans to visit the site of modern-day Fremantle were Dutch explorers captained byWillem de Vlamingh, 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, whenCaptain James Stirling, inHMS Success, 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, CaptainCharles Fremantle ofHMS Challenger, a 603-ton, 28-gun frigate, was instructed to sail to the west coast of Australia to establish a settlement there.[8]
On 2 May 1829, Fremantle hoisted theUnion 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 ofNew Holland" in the name of Britain'sKing George IV.[9]Western Australia Day (formerly Foundation Day) is observed on the first Monday in June, although it was actually on 2 June 1829 that CaptainJames Stirling onParmelia arrived with Surveyor-General Roe and the first contingent of immigrants to set up the Swan River Colony.[10] The settlement ofPerth 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 settlementFremantle.[11] In early September 1829, the merchant vesselAnglesea grounded at GageRoads, at the mouth of theSwan River. She did not break up, as had been expected, but instead survived to become Western Australia's firstprison hulk.[12]Lotus, which arrived on about 10 October 1829, was "the second passenger ship that sailed for Western Australia."[13]
On 1 June 1850, the first convicts arrived at Fremantle aboardScindian. The thirty-seventh and last convict ship to dock at Fremantle wasHougoumont on 10 January 1868, signalling the end ofpenal transportation to Australia. Among the 280 convicts on board were 62Fenian military and political prisoners—members of theIrish Republican Brotherhood—six of whom managed to escape the Convict Establishment in theCatalpa rescue of 1876.[14] During this period, notorious South Sea pirateBully Hayes lived in Fremantle with his fiancée Miss Scott, daughter of the Fremantle Harbour Master.[15]
In 1897, Irish-born engineerC. Y. O'Connor deepened Fremantle Harbour and removed thelimestone bar and sand shoals across the entrance to the Swan River, thus rendering Fremantle a serviceable port for commercial shipping.[16] This occurred at the height of the late 19th-centuryWestern Australian gold rush, transforming Fremantle into a capital of trade and gateway for thousands of gold miners to the inland boom towns ofCoolgardie,Kalgoorlie andSouthern Cross. Camels and theirAfghan drivers were familiar sights, andby-laws regulating the driving of camels through the streets of Fremantle were enacted.[17]
The wealth generated during this period resulted in the construction of many pubs, hotels, banks, warehouses, import-export businesses and shipping companies throughout Fremantle, and in 1905, theFremantle tram network opened.
In 1919,a deadly clash between striking waterside workers and police took place at Fremantle Harbour.
During theSecond World War, Fremantle was the home of the largest base for Allied submarines in theSouthern Hemisphere, and the second largest in thePacific War afterPearl Harbor.[18] 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 asFremantle Fortress. There were up to 125 US, 31British and 11Free Dutch submarinesoperating out of Fremantle,[19] until the Americans moved forward to thePhilippines. One of the first US submarines to arrive in Fremantle, theUSSSargo (SS-188), was bombed by an AustralianLockheed Hudson, which mistook it for a Japanese vessel.[20] The movements and presence ofUSSSturgeon (SS-187) is a good example of such activity.
Fremantle was considered a "veritableShangri-la"[21] 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 theNational Hotel resulted in many injuries and the death from stab wounds of twoMāori soldiers.[22][23]
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After Australia won the 1983America's Cup yacht race, Fremantle hosted Australia's defence of the trophy in 1987. The series was held in Gage Roads and significantly boosted the local economy and tourism. A new Fremantle marina,Challenger Harbour, was built alongside the existing Fishing Boat Harbour.
The City of Fremantle introduced several urban renewal projects in 2012, encouragingmixed-use development by increasing the maximum building height on key sites in the CBD, includingKings Square and the inner East End.[24] In January 2013, the City of Fremantle became the first council in Australia tooutlaw the use of non-degradableplastic bags within their local area.[25]
Fremantle still serves as the chief general seaport for Western Australia, though far greater tonnages are exported from the iron-ore ports of thePilbara.
Fremantle lies on a series of limestone hills known by theNyungar people asBooyeembara; the sandplain to the east isGardoo.[26][27] The original vegetation of the area was mainlyXanthorrhoea andeucalyptus trees, which were traditionallyfired annually by the Aboriginal people.
Thesuburb of Fremantle is bounded by theSwan River to the north and north-west, the Indian Ocean to the west, South Street to the south, and the suburbs ofEast Fremantle andWhite 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.[28] TheCity of Fremantle local government area also includes the suburbs ofBeaconsfield,Hilton,North Fremantle,O'Connor,Samson,South Fremantle, andWhite Gum Valley.East Fremantle has its owntown council and is not governed by the City of Fremantle.
Fremantle is the end of theFremantle railway line which runs fromPerth to Fremantle, run by the Western Australia'sPublic Transport Authority. Major highways includingStirling Highway,Canning Highway andLeach Highway have Fremantle as their start point and/or terminus.
Fremantle has aMediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa). The regular sea breeze is known as theFremantle 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.
| Climate data for Fremantle | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 42.4 (108.3) | 41.0 (105.8) | 39.4 (102.9) | 35.8 (96.4) | 28.3 (82.9) | 26.3 (79.3) | 25.5 (77.9) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.8 (80.2) | 36.3 (97.3) | 39.0 (102.2) | 40.0 (104.0) | 42.4 (108.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.9 (82.2) | 26.4 (79.5) | 23.6 (74.5) | 20.3 (68.5) | 18.1 (64.6) | 17.1 (62.8) | 17.3 (63.1) | 18.5 (65.3) | 20.1 (68.2) | 23.0 (73.4) | 25.4 (77.7) | 22.1 (71.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.1 (64.6) | 17.0 (62.6) | 14.9 (58.8) | 12.7 (54.9) | 11.1 (52.0) | 10.0 (50.0) | 10.2 (50.4) | 11.0 (51.8) | 12.3 (54.1) | 14.5 (58.1) | 16.5 (61.7) | 13.8 (56.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 11.7 (53.1) | 10.2 (50.4) | 7.4 (45.3) | 5.1 (41.2) | 5.1 (41.2) | 4.0 (39.2) | 3.0 (37.4) | 3.1 (37.6) | 2.2 (36.0) | 5.1 (41.2) | 6.7 (44.1) | 9.4 (48.9) | 2.2 (36.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 6.3 (0.25) | 11.3 (0.44) | 16.3 (0.64) | 41.3 (1.63) | 112.8 (4.44) | 165.5 (6.52) | 156.2 (6.15) | 117.7 (4.63) | 69.2 (2.72) | 42.2 (1.66) | 18.2 (0.72) | 11.4 (0.45) | 764.6 (30.10) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 4.2 | 7.8 | 14.1 | 17.8 | 19.3 | 17.4 | 14.4 | 10.9 | 6.8 | 3.9 | 121.8 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 1500) | 57 | 55 | 57 | 59 | 62 | 64 | 66 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 59 | 60 | 61 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology[29] | |||||||||||||
The Fremantlestate seat was continuously held by theAustralian Labor Party from 1924 until 2009, when it was lost at aby-election toGreens candidateAdele Carles. The seat was returned to Labor (Simone McGurk) in the2013 state election.[30] Thefederal electorate has returned Labor members continuously since 1934, including former Prime MinisterJohn Curtin, and is represented byJosh Wilson.
The local government of theCity of Fremantle consists of a mayor and council. Hannah Fitzhardinge has been the mayor since the 2021 local government elections.[31]
Fremantle has been represented by some significant Australian political figures.John Curtin served asPrime Minister during the Second World War, and is often described as one of the nation's greatest political leaders. The state'slargest university and amajor secondary school in Fremantle are named after him, and his statue stands inKings Square near the Fremantle Town Hall. A long-serving mayor of the town, SirFrank 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, Roger Dunkley, was medical officer with the 2nd/2nd Independent Company during theTimor campaign in the Second World War.Carmen Lawrence, the first female premier of an Australian state, later represented Fremantle in the federalHouse of Representatives.
Fremantle has seen many industrialconflicts, the most famous of which occurred in 1919 when rioting broke out during theBattle of the Barricades, resulting in one death and many injuries.[32]
On 10 November 2006, Australian state and territoryattorneys general met in Fremantle to sign theFremantle Declaration, a restatement and affirmation of legal and human rights principles in Australia.[33] In 2011, Prime MinisterJulia Gillard launched theCommonwealth Youth Forum in Fremantle as part of theCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011, held in Perth 28–30 October.[34]
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 locally quarried limestone with ornate façades in a succession of architectural styles. Rapid development following the harbour works gave rise to anEdwardian precinct as merchant and shipping companies built in the west end and on reclaimed land.[35]
TheRound House, the oldest remaining intact building in Western Australia, was built as a jail between 1830 and 1831.[36] The Round House had eight cells and a jailer's residence, which all opened up into a central courtyard. In the 1800s, baywhaling was carried out fromBathers 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 bylate Victorian andEdwardian architecture. A process ofgentrification in the early 1990s was accelerated by the establishment of theUniversity of Notre Dame Australia that occupies, and has restored, many of the buildings in the West End.
When the first 75convicts 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 jail,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 theBritish Empire. It housed British convicts, local prisoners, military prisoners, enemy aliens and prisoners of war. In 2010, Fremantle Prison was placed on theUNESCOWorld Heritage List as part of the "Australian Convict Sites", making it the first built environment in Western Australia to be bestowed this honour.[37] It continues to be accessible to the public for guided tours and as a venue for artistic and cultural activities.[38]
Other convict-built buildings in Fremantle include the 1850sFremantle School building andCommissariat Buildings, and theFremantle Arts Centre, constructed in the 1860s from locally quarried limestone. It is a formerlunatic asylum building on Ord Street, and is one of Fremantle's most significant landmarks.[39] Today, the imposingVictorian Gothic building and its historic courtyards are used for art exhibitions and music concerts.
TheFremantle Markets opened in 1897, forming a precinct providing handicrafts, specialty foods, dining halls and fish and vegetable markets. The area also hostsbuskers and other street performers. The thenpremier,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 theNational Trust of Australia and the state's Heritage Council in 1980. The Fremantle Markets are adjacent to several other historic buildings, including theSail and Anchor Hotel (which contains amicrobrewery), theNorfolk Hotel, the Warders Cottages, theFremantle Technical School,Fremantle Synagogue andScots 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.[3] For example, theart decoOriana Cinema on the corner of Queen and High streets was demolished in 1972, after only 34 years of operation.[40] This was done to make way for the widening of High Street, but that project was stopped thanks to the campaigning ofthe 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.[3]
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.[41][42]
In the2021 Australian census, the local government area ofCity 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%).[43]
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 wasCatholic, 8.1%Anglican and 7.5% not stated.[43]
Fremantle's tertiary education institutions are:
The city centre is also home to a major teaching hospital,Fremantle Hospital.
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 the workers, followed by retail, employing 10.2%. The Local Gross Product of Fremantle was $3,677 million in 2011.[46]
Fremantle was served by aCommunity Newspaper Group paper,The Fremantle–Cockburn Gazette, until 2021, when it was replaced byPerthNow – Fremantle. The independent local newspaper, theFremantle Herald, also serves the region.
Fremantle also has two radio stations:Radio Fremantle on 107.9FM and91.3 SportFM.
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.
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',[47] a section of South Terrace known for itsal fresco dining culture.[48] TheFishing Boat Harbour has become a tourist precinct, with a mixture ofmicrobreweries, restaurants and some of Australia's largest fish and chip shops.[48] A number of old buildings on the harbour have been renovated, includingLittle Creatures Brewery, which occupies a former boat shed andcrocodile farm, and contains a café and art gallery.[49] The harbour's annual Fremantle Sardine Festival onEsplanade Park attracts thousands of seafood lovers every year.[50] Other annual events held at the harbour includeAraluen's Fremantle Chilli Festival, the Fremantle Boat Show, and the traditional ItalianBlessing of the Fleet ceremony.[51]
Fremantle—along with the inner suburbsNorthbridge,Leederville andSubiaco—is one of Perth's major nightlife hubs.[52] 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.[53] International street performers converge for the Fremantle Street Arts Festival, held over the Easter holiday period.[54] The Fremantle Heritage Festival celebrates local history with a variety of events, tours, concerts and workshops.[55]
Fremantle is also home to several galleries and museums. TheWestern Australian Museum has two branches in Fremantle: theShipwreck Galleries, housed in convict-constructedcommissariat buildings and known for its artefacts from the wreckedDutch East India Company shipBatavia and other 17th-century Dutch ships; and theMaritime Museum onVictoria Quay, which contains exhibits related to maritime trade and the Indian Ocean. TheArmy Museum of Western Australia is housed in an historic Fremantle artillery barracks.
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 theJ Shed 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, includingAC/DC frontmanBon Scott, who grew up in the city and whose gravesite atFremantle Cemetery has become a cultural landmark.[56] A statue of Scott was erected in 2009 at the Fishing Boat Harbour.[57]Dom Mariani also grew up in Fremantle, as didJames Baker, and in the mid-1970s, fellowpunk rock pioneerKim Salmon resided at theTarantella Night Club, where he made his first public performances.[58]John Butler of theJohn Butler Trio started his music career busking in Fremantle in the 1990s. Alternative rock and folk groupsLittle Birdy,The Waifs andEskimo Joe all have Fremantle connections, and belong to what has been dubbed the 'Freo Sound'.[59] Other notable Fremantle musicians include bassistMartyn P. Casey,[60] psychedelic rock groupsTame Impala andPond,[61] and indie pop bandSan Cisco. Songs about Fremantle include the title track ofPaul Kelly's 1987 albumUnder the Sun,[62] The Waifs' 2004 single "Bridal Train",[63] and much of Eskimo Joe's 2004 albumA Song is a City. Fremantle is home to a number of independent labels, includingRedline Records, co-run byJebediah frontman and Fremantle-nativeKevin Mitchell, andJarrah Records, co-founded by the John Butler Trio and The Waifs. Music festivals held in Fremantle include theWest Coast Blues & Roots Festival, theFremantle Winter Music Festival,[64] and theSt Jerome's Laneway Festival. The Fremantle Eisteddfod, running annually at theFremantle Town Hall, supports young artists with prizes and concerts.[65]
Fremantle has served as the setting for several films.Windrider (1986) was shot in Fremantle and starredNicole Kidman.[66] In the 2004 filmThunderstruck, 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 filmLast Train to Freo took place outsideFremantle railway station, while scenes in the 2010 musical filmBran Nue Dae were shot in Fremantle's West End. Other films shot and/or set in Fremantle includeWind (1992),Teesh and Trude (2003) andTwo Fists, One Heart (2008).
The children's television seriesThe Sleepover Club andStreetsmartz were set and shot in Fremantle.[citation needed] In 2006, Fremantle Prison was featured on anepisode of theAmerican version ofThe Amazing Race. Episodes of theBBC World documentary television seriesPeschardt's People have been filmed in Fremantle, including an episode with Australian actressToni Collette and another with Fremantle-based English comedianBen Elton.
Actors from Fremantle includeEmma Booth,Ewen Leslie,David Frankflin,Mary Ward andSimon Lyndon.Sam Worthington andMegan Gale attended their first acting classes atJohn Curtin College of the Arts in Fremantle. In 2009, Fremantle modelTahnee Atkinson won thefifth cycle ofAustralia's Next Top Model.
Global attention turned to Fremantle when it hosted theAmerica's Cupyachting race in 1987, after Australia was the first country to ever win the race, aside from the US, in1983. The unsuccessful cup defence was conducted on the waters inGage Roads, and is considered a hallmark event of the late 20th century revitalisation and gentrification of the city.[67] Fremantle has subsequently served as a stopover in theClipper,Velux andVolvo round-the-world yacht races, and hosted the2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, a major qualifying event for the2012 Summer Olympics.[68]
OrganisedAustralian rules football was first played in Fremantle in the early 1880s with theFremantle Football Club, a founding member of theWest Australian Football Association in 1885. The club disbanded at the end of the 1886 season after winning its first premiership.[69] Founded in 1882, the Fremantle-basedUnions 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 byEast Fremantle (1898–),South Fremantle (1900–), andNorth Fremantle (1901–1915).[69] The East Fremantle Sharks are by far the most successful club in theWest Australian Football League, winning a total of 30 premierships.[70]East Fremantle Oval has been the team's home ground since 1953. Today, Fremantle is represented in theAustralian Football League by theFremantle Dockers, who previously trained at the heritage-listedFremantle Oval, shared with South Fremantle, and play their home matches atPerth Stadium (also known as Optus Stadium) inBurswood. The club's mainrivalry is with the Perth-basedWest Coast Eagles. In 2013, the Dockers played in (and lost[71]) their firstGrand Final.[72] The Fremantlewomen's team has competed inAFL Women's since 2017 and play their home games at Fremantle Oval.
Founded in 1887, theFremantle District Cricket Club competes in theWestern Australian Grade Cricket competition, and plays its home fixtures at Fremantle's Stevens Reserve. The club has produced a number ofTest players includingGraeme Wood,Brad Hogg,Geoff Marsh and sonsShaun Marsh andMitchell Marsh. Fremantle is represented in state league soccer byFremantle City FC who play in theNational Premier Leagues Western Australia.[73][74]
Fremantle is home to five beaches:Bathers Beach, River Beach,South Beach, Leighton Beach and Port Beach. The city's strong afternoon sea breeze, known locally as theFreo Doctor, has made its beaches a prime location forwind andkite surfing. The FremantleSurf Life Saving Club has been active since the 1930s.[75] Fishing takes place at the many jetties andgroynes surrounding Challenger, Success Boat and Fishing Boat harbours, and alongBlackwall Reach at the Swan River, which is also used forcanoeing,rock climbing andcliff diving.[49] A chain of islands listed as A Classnature reserves lie within 20 km (12 mi) of Fremantle, and are accessible by ferry or private boat. The largest and most well-known island isRottnest Island, followed byGarden Island andCarnac Island. Each island is home toendemic flora and fauna, and provide opportunities forwater-based activities such assunbathing,surfing,snorkelling andscuba diving.[76]
Fremantle is home to Western Australia's largest working port.[77] 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.[78]
The city is the western terminus of the direct, electrified passenger railway service from the Perth CBD, served byFremantle railway station. The original station was built in 1881, with the current heritage-listed building dating from 1907. Fremantle was the starting point of railways in the metropolitan area of Perth, theFremantle railway line being the starting point of the first railway in 1881 toGuildford.
Major highways, theStirling Highway,Canning Highway andLeach Highway connect Fremantle to the Perth CBD.
Passenger ferries operate from the port, travelling toRottnest 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)[79] linking key points in the city and to Fremantle's inner suburbs. But ceased operations in October 2023[80]
The major health service facility in Fremantle isFremantle 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.[81] It is Western Australia's referral hospital for diving andhyperbaric medicine, and has acardiothoracic 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.[82] 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.[83]
Fremantle hassister city relationships with five cities and friendship city relationships with three cities.[84] Some of the relationships reflect Fremantle's historic migrant population. They are (in chronological order):
Seberang Perai,Malaysia (since 1978)
Yokosuka, Japan (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:
For millennia the Noongar people met there in spring and autumn to feast on fish and game.
Easily quarried limestone was as popular with colonial builders as sandstone or bluestone was with their counterparts in New South Wales or Victoria
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