Fremantle, or Freo in WA vernacular, is a major Australian city port located at the mouth of the Swan River in the Perth metropolitan area. The city is named after Captain Charles Fremantle, the English naval officer who established a camp at the site on 2 May 1829. Although it is merely coastal suburb of Perth, historically Freo ferociously defends its independent identity and is sometimes recognised as Perth’s sister city. Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour is well known for its lucrative activity throughout Australian history. In gold rush days it was a port of cosmopolitan liveliness, which provided an anchorage for 120 fishing vessels, however, Fremantle then sank into a long period of decrepitude until the 1970s. During this decade it underwent a gentrifying revival as people began to recognise the commercial potential in its maritime and criminal history and Victorian architecture. So, today it is a trendy hangout, a place of flat whites, smashed avocado, and quirky book shops emitting an urban vibe. The University of Notre Dame, established in December 1989 brings 12,000 students to the city transforming it to a hive of youth and culture in recent decades.
As the latter half of the week approaches Fremantle market opens up from 9am to 8pm Friday and 9am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday. The grand 19th-century market hall has been a hub of commerce since 1897 when customers would have arrived by horse and cart!
Boasting over 150 stalls selling fresh local produce, indigenous souvenirs, artsy gifts and trinkets, and unique food, the market is popular with both visitors and locals . It is where city-workers are likely to treat themselves to a tasty lunch on a Friday to get them through the final day of the working week, or where visitors are guaranteed to find the perfect gift for those back home.
What's more, the laid-back atmosphere of the harbour makes it a premier destination for holiday-makers and locals. Bordered by world-class restaurants, including Kailis Fishmarket Cafe and Cicerello's fish and chips, serving some of WA's freshest, first-rate seafood, one can dine at the harbour blessed with panoramic water views; or soak up some rays at Bathers Beach while being taken care of by the 'Freo Doctor' - WA's vernacular term for the ameliorating ocean breeze that sweeps through Freo in the 'avo'. Or, if you have a hunger for history and culture, climb the staircase up to the Round House - built in 1830 - to see where colonial and indigenous prisoners were held until 1886 when Fremantle Prison opened up to locally-sentenced criminals as well as convicts transported from Britain.
Considering Australia is one of the only countries to originate from a prison (its population being heavily established by British transported criminals), I found it fitting to visit a prison while there. Now out-of-use, Fremantle Prison is considered a World Heritage Site and is one of the main attractions in WA, visited by international and domestic tourists, as well as ex-prisoners, former prison officers, and their descendants. We decided to take the True Crime tour one sunny Friday morning, guided by a theatrical lady in a blue prison officer uniform - a light blue shirt, wide leg navy combats, weighty black boots, shoulder boards and a black cap tailed by a long black pony tail. In extravagant initiation she told us stories regarding the crimes former prisoners had committed, their time in the prison and escape attempts. She showed us the cells in which they were kept and the tiny court yards in which they were allowed to spend one hour a day. These court yards were separated by concrete walls and prisoners were allocated to each one depending on the category of crime they had committed. Ironically the juvenile court was adjacent to the pedophile / rapist court as an extra form of torture. The most disconcerting aspect of the tour was the recency of the stories. These criminals were mostly still alive, some still serving their sentences in high security prisons, others released and living on streets nearby. It was also touching that some cells had drawings scratched into the wooden floor. There was one of a topless mermaid captioned with the name Kim, which made me wonder how these prisoners imagination must have run wild whilst trapped in such a confined space, cut off from loved ones, reality and the whole outside world. What shatters their mental health must have been in, but I guess they deserved it.
For a more light hearted cultural experience in Freo I'd recommend visiting Japingka Aboriginal Art gallery, a two-level 1890's warehouse in Fremantle's historic West End filled with a selection of 4,500 admirable, ethically sourced Aboriginal artworks. With 30 years experience Japingka Aboriginal Art is an active member of both Aboriginal Art Association of Australia and the Australian Federal Government’s Indigenous Art Code. Both these organisations promote fair trade practices and ethical standards for the Aboriginal art industry. Browse the works of some of the greatest Australian Aboriginal painters free of charge, or if you have a spare couple of thousand dollars and a reasonably light suitcase, purchase a painting in memory of your visit. Furthermore, if you visit a the right time you may be lucky enough to catch one of the gallery's special exhibitions which they hold for several weeks throughout the year.
Comments