View source for Fremantle

{{Short description|Port city in Perth Western Australia}}
{{About|the settlement proclaimed a city in 1929|the local government area and the suburb|City of Fremantle|and|Fremantle (suburb)|the British production company named after this city|Fremantle (company)|other uses|Fremantle (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type          = city
| name          = Fremantle
| city          =
| state         = wa
| image         = {{multiple image
 | perrow = 1/2/2
 | caption_align = center
 | border = infobox
 | total_width = 280
 | image1 = Aerial view of Fremantle.JPG
 | caption1 = Aerial view of Fremantle
 | image2 = Fremantle harbour meets the museum.jpg
 | caption2 = [[WA Maritime Museum]]
 | image3 = CMA CGM Chopin, Fremantle, 2018 (01).jpg
 | caption3 = Cargo ship in Fremantle Harbour
 | image4 = Freo prison WMAU gnangarra-131.jpg
 | caption4 = [[Fremantle Prison]]
 | image5 = High Street, Fremantle, Western Australia.jpg
 | caption5 = [[High Street, Fremantle|High Street]]
}}
| alternative_location_map = Australia Perth
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Perth
| coordinates   = {{coord |region:AU-WA_type:city_dim:2km |name={{wikidata |property |P1448 }} |display=inline,title |format=dms}}
| lga           = City of Fremantle
| postcode      = 6160
| est           = {{plainlist |
*1829 (settlement)
*1929 (proclamation of city)
}}
| pop           =
| pop_year      =
| pop_footnotes =
| area          = 
| timezone      = [[Australian Western Standard Time|AWST]]
| utc           = +8
| stategov      = [[Electoral district of Fremantle|Fremantle]]
| fedgov        = [[Division of Fremantle|Fremantle]]
| dist1         = 19
| dir1          = SW
| location1     = [[Perth CBD]]
}}
'''Fremantle''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|r|iː|m|æ|n|t|əl}}; {{Langx|nys|Walyalup}}) is a port city in [[Western Australia]] located at the mouth of the [[Swan River (Western Australia)|Swan River]] in the metropolitan area of [[Perth]], the state capital. [[Fremantle Harbour]] serves as the port of Perth. The [[Western Australian English|Western Australian vernacular]] diminutive for Fremantle is '''Freo'''.<ref>Australians generally favour the pronunciation "FREE-mantle" over its English antecedent "Fre-MAN-tle". However, the stress commonly reverts to the second syllable in phonetic compounds such as 'North Fre-MAN-tle', 'South Fre-MAN-tle', etc. "Freo" is pronounced FREE-oh.</ref>

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]]").<ref name=walyallup>[https://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/news-and-media/2632018-inaugural-woylie-festival-starts-tomorrow "(26/3/2018) Inaugural Woylie Festival starts tomorrow"], fremantle.gov.au. Retrieved 5 July 2020.</ref> Visited by [[Dutch exploration of Australia|Dutch explorers]] in the 1600s, Fremantle was the first area settled by the [[Swan River Colony|Swan River colonists]] in 1829,<ref name="dada10">{{cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Ron |last2=Davidson |first2=Dianne |year=2010 |title=Fighting for Fremantle |location=Fremantle, Western Australia |publisher=Fremantle Society |isbn=9781921361913 |quote="For millennia the Noongar people met there in spring and autumn to feast on fish and game." }}</ref>{{rp|11}} and is named after Captain [[Charles Fremantle]], an English naval officer who claimed the west coast of [[New Holland (Australia)|New Holland]] as British territory.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stewart|first1=William|title=Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present|date=2009|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, NC|isbn=9780786482887|page=135|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S1VimlFIjQoC&pg=PA135|chapter=Fremantle, Sir Charles Howe (1800-1869)}}</ref> The settlement struggled in its first decades, and in 1850, with the advent of [[convict era of Western Australia|penal transportation to the colony]], Fremantle became Australia's primary destination for [[convicts in Australia|convicts]]. The convict-built [[Fremantle Prison]] operated long after transportation of convicts ended in 1868, and is now a [[World Heritage Site]].

Fremantle was charted as [[City of Fremantle|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,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32285027 |title=Fremantle A City |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |date=4 June 1929 |access-date=2 May 2018 |page=17 |via=[[NLA Trove|Trove]] (National Library of Australia)}}</ref> Fremantle played a key role in [[World War II]] as the largest [[Fremantle submarine base|submarine base]] in the Southern Hemisphere. Post-war immigration from Europe, particularly [[Italian Australians|Italy]], helped shape Fremantle's character, and it rapidly gentrified after hosting the [[1987 America's Cup]] sailing competition. Today, Fremantle is recognised for its well-preserved [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] and [[Edwardian architecture|Edwardian]] streetscapes and convict-era architecture, and is known as a [[Bohemianism|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]] 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''<ref>{{cite web|title=Walyalup women weavers|url=http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/now_showing/first_australians/resistance/fanny_balbuk/walyalup_women_weavers/|publisher=[[National Museum of Australia]]|access-date=18 December 2010|archive-date=7 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107190435/http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/now_showing/first_australians/resistance/fanny_balbuk/walyalup_women_weavers/|url-status=dead}}</ref> ("place of the [[woylie]]").<ref name=walyallup/> 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.<ref name="dada10" />{{rp|11}}

Anglesea Point and the [[limestone]] hill area at [[Arthur Head]] (where the [[Round House (Western Australia)|Round House]] prison stands) to Point Marquis was called ''Manjaree'', an important meeting place<ref>[http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/welcomewalls/history History: Migration to Fremantle] at the [[Western Australian Museum]] Welcome Walls</ref> 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 ===
{{See also|Swan River Colony|Convict era of Western Australia}}
{{Multiple image
 | align     = right
 | direction = vertical
 | width     = 215
 | image1    = Fremantle-RoundHouse.jpg
 | caption1  = Completed in 1831, the [[Round House (Western Australia)|Round House]] is the oldest public building in Western Australia. It can be seen atop [[Arthur Head]] in the painting below.
 | image2    = Jane Eliza Currie - Panorama of the Swan River Settlement, 1831.jpg
 | caption2  = Jane Eliza Currie (wife of explorer [[Mark John Currie]]), ''Panorama of the Swan River Settlement'', {{circa|1831}}
}}
The first Europeans to visit the site of modern-day Fremantle were Dutch explorers captained by [[Willem 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, when [[Captain James Stirling]], in {{HMS|Success|1825|6}}, 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 {{HMS|Challenger|1826|6}}, a 603-ton, 28-gun frigate, was instructed to sail to the west coast of Australia to establish a settlement there.<ref>Jackson, K. (1984). Fremantle, Western Australia, p. 7</ref>

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 (Australia)|New Holland]]" in the name of Britain's [[George IV of the United Kingdom|King George IV]].<ref>Fremantle-the beginning (1972) In Gateway June 1973, £ol.2, No. 1, p. 12.</ref> [[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 (Australian governor)|James Stirling]] on {{ship||Parmelia|barque|2}} arrived with Surveyor-General Roe and the first contingent of immigrants to set up the Swan River Colony.<ref>Hitchcock, J.K. (1927). Fremantle, 1829–49, found in Early Days, Vol. 1, Part 1, p. 11</ref> The settlement of [[Perth, Western Australia|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''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Appleyard |first1=Reginald Thomas |last2=Manford |first2=Toby |year=1979 |title=The Beginning: European Discovery and Early Settlement of Swan River Western Australia |location=Nedlands |publisher=University of Western Australia Press |isbn=0-85564-146-0 |oclc=6423026 }}</ref> In early September 1829, the merchant vessel ''Anglesea'' grounded at Gage [[Roadstead|Roads]], at the mouth of the [[Swan River (Western Australia)|Swan River]]. She did not break up, as had been expected, but instead survived to become Western Australia's first [[prison ship|prison hulk]].{{sfnp|Goulding|2007|p=14}} {{ship||Lotus|1826 ship|2}}, which arrived on about 10 October 1829, was "the second passenger ship that sailed for Western Australia."{{sfnp|Favenc|1908|p=242}}

On 1 June 1850, the first convicts arrived at Fremantle aboard {{ship||Scindian||2}}. The thirty-seventh and last convict ship to dock at Fremantle was {{ship||Hougoumont|ship|2}} on 10 January 1868, signalling the end of [[penal transportation]] 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.<ref>[http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/History/theconvictera/characters/thefenians/Pages/default.aspx The Fenians]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702194517/http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/History/theconvictera/characters/thefenians/Pages/default.aspx |date=2 July 2014 }}, FremantlePrison.com.au. Retrieved 9 December 2011.</ref> During this period, notorious South Sea pirate [[Bully Hayes]] lived in Fremantle with his fiancée Miss Scott, daughter of the Fremantle Harbour Master.<ref>[[Frank Clune|Clune, Frank]]. ''Captain Bully Hayes: Blackbirder and Bigamist''. Perth: [[Hesperian Press]], 1997. {{ISBN|0-85905-239-7}}, p. 11</ref>

=== Gateway to the West ===
{{See also|Fremantle Harbour|Western Australian gold rushes}}

[[File:CY OConnor Statue Fremantle.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Pietro Porcelli]]'s statue of engineer [[C. Y. O'Connor]], who designed Fremantle Harbour, at Fremantle Port]]

In 1897, Irish-born engineer [[C. Y. O'Connor]] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shawfactor.com/gazetteer/western-australia/fremantle/|title=Local history of Fremantle|author=Shawfactor|date=7 May 2014 }}</ref> This occurred at the height of the late 19th-century [[Western Australian gold rush]], transforming Fremantle into a capital of trade and gateway for thousands of gold miners to the inland boom towns of [[Coolgardie, Western Australia|Coolgardie]], [[Kalgoorlie]] and [[Southern Cross, Western Australia|Southern Cross]]. Camels and their [[Afghan (Australia)|Afghan]] drivers were familiar sights, and [[by-law]]s regulating the driving of camels through the streets of Fremantle were enacted.<ref>Stevens, Christine (2002). ''Tin Mosques and Ghan Towns: A History of Afghan Camel Drivers in Australia''. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. pp. 109–112. {{ISBN|0-9581760-0-0}}.</ref>

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, the [[trams in Fremantle|Fremantle tram network]] opened.

In 1919, [[1919 Fremantle Wharf riot|a deadly clash]] between striking waterside workers and police took place at Fremantle Harbour.

===Naval operations===
{{Further|Fremantle submarine base}}
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]] after [[Pearl Harbor]].<ref>Cairns, Lynn. ''Secret Fleets: Fremantle's World War II Submarine Base''. [[Western Australian Museum]], 2011. {{ISBN|1-920843-52-3}}.</ref> 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 [[Royal Navy|British]] and 11 [[Military history of the Netherlands during World War II#The Netherlands East Indies|Free Dutch]] submarines [[Allied submarines in the Pacific War|operating out of Fremantle]],<ref>Cairns, L. (1995) Fremantle's secret fleets.</ref> until the Americans moved forward to the [[Philippines]]. One of the first US submarines to arrive in Fremantle, the [[USS Sargo (SS-188)|USS ''Sargo'' (SS-188)]], was bombed by an Australian [[Lockheed Hudson]], which mistook it for a Japanese vessel.<ref>Dowson, J. (2003). ''Old Fremantle''. Crawley, W.A: University of Western Australia Press. pp 214.</ref> The movements and presence of [[USS Sturgeon (SS-187)|USS ''Sturgeon'' (SS-187)]] is a good example of such activity.

Fremantle was considered a "veritable [[Shangri-La|Shangri-la]]"<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sturma|first1=Michael|title=Death at a Distance: The Loss of The Legendary USS Harder|date=2006|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-61251-432-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=408MhbuG4jQC&pg=PT39}}</ref> 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 (Fremantle)|National Hotel]] resulted in many injuries and the death from stab wounds of two [[Māori people|Māori]] soldiers.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44814146 Soldiers' deaths: Coroner's finding] [[The West Australian]], 28 June 1944, p.4, at [[NLA Trove|Trove]]</ref><ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page7416425 Maoris Tell Vivid Stories Of Fremantle Stabbing Brawl Which Ended In Two Deaths] The Mirror, Perth, 1 July 1944, at [[NLA Trove|Trove]]</ref>

===Post-Second World War===
[[File:Fremantle (2052458578).jpg|thumb|The [[Western Australian Museum#Western Australian Museum – Maritime and Western Australian Museum - Shipwreck Galleries|WA Maritime Museum]] building on [[Victoria Quay, Fremantle|Victoria Quay]]]]
After Australia won the 1983 [[America'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, encouraging [[mixed-use development]] by increasing the maximum building height on key sites in the CBD, including [[Kings Square, Fremantle|Kings Square]] and the inner East End.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|title=City Centre urban renewal (Amendment 49)|url=http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/cityoffremantle/Projectsmajor/City_Centre_urban_renewal_Amendment_49|work=City of Fremantle|access-date=26 February 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329173740/http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/cityoffremantle/Projectsmajor/City_Centre_urban_renewal_Amendment_49|archive-date=29 March 2013}}</ref> In January 2013, the City of Fremantle became the first council in Australia to [[phase-out of lightweight plastic bags|outlaw the use]] of non-degradable [[plastic shopping bag|plastic bags]] within their local area.<ref>Zaw, Yolanda (31 January 2013). [https://archive.today/20130217025421/http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/16031231/freo-bans-plastic-bags/ "Freo bans plastic bags"], ''[[The West Australian]]''. Retrieved 4 February 2013.</ref>

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]].

== Geography ==
[[File:Fremantle Bathers Beach.jpg|thumb|[[Bathers Beach, Fremantle|Bathers Beach]] from a limestone hill]]
Fremantle lies on a series of limestone hills known by the [[Nyungar]] people as ''Booyeembara''; the sandplain to the east is ''Gardoo''.<ref>[[Robert Lyon (Australian settler)|Lyon, R. M.]], ''A Glance at the Manners and Languages of the Aboriginal Inhabitants of Western Australia'', 1833; published in Green 1979 (below).</ref><ref>Green, N. (ed.) ''Nyungar: The People'', Creative Research Publishing, Mount Lawley College, Perth, 1979</ref> The original vegetation of the area was mainly ''[[Xanthorrhoea]]'' and [[eucalyptus]] trees, which were traditionally [[Cold fire (Noongar fire type)|fired]] annually by the Aboriginal people.

The [[Fremantle (suburb)|suburb of Fremantle]] is bounded by the [[Swan River (Western Australia)|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, Western Australia|East Fremantle]] and [[White Gum Valley, Western Australia|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.<ref>{{Streetsmart WA|maps=Map 430-431}}</ref> The [[City of Fremantle]] local government area also includes the suburbs of [[Beaconsfield, Western Australia|Beaconsfield]], [[Hilton, Western Australia|Hilton]], [[North Fremantle, Western Australia|North Fremantle]], [[O'Connor, Western Australia|O'Connor]], [[Samson, Western Australia|Samson]], [[South Fremantle, Western Australia|South Fremantle]], and [[White Gum Valley, Western Australia|White Gum Valley]]. [[East Fremantle, Western Australia|East Fremantle]] has its own [[Town of East Fremantle|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 (Western Australia)|Public Transport Authority]]. Major highways including [[Stirling Highway]], [[Canning Highway]] and [[Leach Highway]] have Fremantle as their start point and/or terminus.

=== Climate ===
Fremantle has a [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system|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.
<section begin="weatherbox" />{{Weather box
|location = {{no selflink|Fremantle}}
<includeonly>|collapsed = yes</includeonly>
|single line = yes
|metric first = yes
|Jan record high C = 42.4
|Feb record high C = 41.0
|Mar record high C = 39.4
|Apr record high C = 35.8
|May record high C = 28.3
|Jun record high C = 26.3
|Jul record high C = 25.5
|Aug record high C = 26.0
|Sep record high C = 26.8
|Oct record high C = 36.3
|Nov record high C = 39.0
|Dec record high C = 40.0

|Jan high C = 27.3
|Feb high C = 27.9
|Mar high C = 26.4
|Apr high C = 23.6
|May high C = 20.3
|Jun high C = 18.1
|Jul high C = 17.1
|Aug high C = 17.3
|Sep high C = 18.5
|Oct high C = 20.1
|Nov high C = 23.0
|Dec high C = 25.4
|year high C = 22.1

|Jan low C = 17.8
|Feb low C = 18.1
|Mar low C = 17.0
|Apr low C = 14.9
|May low C = 12.7
|Jun low C = 11.1
|Jul low C = 10.0
|Aug low C = 10.2
|Sep low C = 11.0
|Oct low C = 12.3
|Nov low C = 14.5
|Dec low C = 16.5
|year low C = 13.8

|Jan record low C = 11.7
|Feb record low C = 10.2
|Mar record low C = 7.4
|Apr record low C = 5.1
|May record low C = 5.1
|Jun record low C = 4.0
|Jul record low C = 3.0
|Aug record low C = 3.1
|Sep record low C = 2.2
|Oct record low C = 5.1
|Nov record low C = 6.7
|Dec record low C = 9.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 6.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 11.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 16.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 41.3
|May precipitation mm = 112.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 165.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 156.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 117.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 69.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 42.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 18.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 11.4
|year precipitation mm = 764.6

|unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 2.6
|Feb precipitation days = 2.6
|Mar precipitation days = 4.2
|Apr precipitation days = 7.8
|May precipitation days = 14.1
|Jun precipitation days = 17.8
|Jul precipitation days = 19.3
|Aug precipitation days = 17.4
|Sep precipitation days = 14.4
|Oct precipitation days = 10.9
|Nov precipitation days = 6.8
|Dec precipitation days = 3.9
|year precipitation days = 121.8

|time day = 1500
|Jan humidity = 57
|Feb humidity = 55
|Mar humidity = 57
|Apr humidity = 59
|May humidity = 62
|Jun humidity = 64
|Jul humidity = 66
|Aug humidity = 63
|Sep humidity = 62
|Oct humidity = 62
|Nov humidity = 59
|Dec humidity = 60
|year humidity = 61 

|source = Bureau of Meteorology<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_009017_All.shtml
|title = Climate Statistics for Fremantle, WA
|access-date =16 May 2012}}</ref>

|date=November 2012

}}<section end="weatherbox" />

==Politics==
{{See also|List of mayors of Fremantle}}
[[File:Fremantle Town Hall, Western Australia.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Fremantle Town Hall]]]]
The Fremantle [[Electoral district of Fremantle|state seat]] was continuously held by the [[Australian Labor Party]] from 1924 until 2009, when it was lost at a [[2009 Fremantle state by-election|by-election]] to [[Greens WA|Greens]] candidate [[Adele Carles]]. The seat was returned to Labor ([[Simone McGurk]]) in the [[2013 Western Australian state election|2013 state election]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Election 2013 |year=2013 |website=Western Australian Electoral Commission |url=http://elections.wa.gov.au/results/sg2013/la/FRE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312035923/http://elections.wa.gov.au/results/sg2013/la/FRE |archive-date=2013-03-12 |access-date=2022-05-23 }}</ref> The [[Division of Fremantle|federal electorate]] has returned Labor members continuously since 1934, including former Prime Minister [[John Curtin]], and is represented by [[Josh Wilson (politician)|Josh Wilson]].

The local government of the [[City of Fremantle]] consists of a mayor and council. Hannah Fitzhardinge has been the mayor since the 2021 local government elections.<ref>{{cite web |title=Your Elected Members |url=https://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/your-elected-members |publisher=City of Fremantle |access-date=9 May 2024}}</ref>

[[Image:John Curtin Fremantle.jpg|thumb|left|Member for Fremantle and wartime prime minister [[John Curtin]] (left) at the launch of [[HMAS Fremantle (J246)|HMAS ''Fremantle'']], 1942]]
Fremantle has been represented by some significant Australian political figures. [[John Curtin]] served as [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] during the Second World War, and is often described as one of the nation's greatest political leaders. The state's [[Curtin University|largest university]] and a [[John Curtin College of the Arts|major secondary school]] in Fremantle are named after him, and his statue stands in [[Kings Square, Fremantle|Kings Square]] near the Fremantle Town Hall. A long-serving mayor of the town, Sir [[Frank Gibson (politician)|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, 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 [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]].

Fremantle has seen many industrial [[organizational conflict|conflicts]], the most famous of which occurred in 1919 when rioting broke out during the [[1919 Fremantle Wharf riot|Battle of the Barricades]], resulting in one death and many injuries.<ref>{{cite wikisource |author=Australian Labor Federation |title=The Fremantle Wharf Crisis of 1919 |date=1920}}</ref>

On 10 November 2006, Australian state and territory [[attorney general|attorneys general]] met in Fremantle to sign the [[Fremantle Declaration]], a restatement and affirmation of legal and human rights principles in Australia.<ref>Coorey, Phillip; Dick, Tim (11 November 2006). [http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/fair-trials-accord-adds-to-pressure-over-hicks/2006/11/10/1162661897733.html "Fair trials accord adds to pressure over Hicks"], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]''. Retrieved 4 June 2011.</ref> In 2011, Prime Minister [[Julia Gillard]] launched the [[Commonwealth Youth Programme|Commonwealth Youth Forum]] in Fremantle as part of the [[Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011]], held in Perth 28–30 October.<ref>Mullany, Ashlee (24 October 2011). [http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/special-features/gillard-tells-youth-to-be-idealists/story-fnamyn6p-1226175384336 "Gillard tells youth to be idealistic"], ''[[Perth Now]]''. Retrieved 7 November 2011.</ref>

== Heritage buildings ==
{{Further|List of heritage places in Fremantle}}
{{See also|Fremantle West End Heritage area|Fremantle walking tours and trails}}
{{Multiple image
 | align     = right
 | direction = vertical
 | width     = 215
 | image1    = High Street Fremantle 1.jpg
 | caption1  = 
 | image2    = High Street Fremantle 2.jpg
 | caption2  = Looking east along [[High Street, Fremantle|High Street]], one of many streets in Fremantle's [[Fremantle West End Heritage area|West End Heritage area]] with well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian architecture
}}
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 an [[Edwardian architecture|Edwardian]] precinct as merchant and shipping companies built in the west end and on reclaimed land.<ref>{{cite book |last= Irving|first= Robert (arch. consultant)|others= Morrison, Robin (Photos)|title=Book of Historic Australian Towns |edition=1 |year=1982 |publisher=Reader's Digest |isbn=0-909486-93-X |pages=134–139 |quote=Easily quarried limestone was as popular with colonial builders as sandstone or bluestone was with their counterparts in New South Wales or Victoria|display-authors=etal}}</ref>

The [[Round House (Western Australia)|Round House]], the oldest remaining intact building in Western Australia, was built as a jail between 1830 and 1831.<ref name="Round House">{{cite web|url=http://www.freofocus.com/things2c/html/roundhouse.cfm|title=Fremantle Focus, History and Heritage|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20050625084702/http://www.freofocus.com/things2c/html/roundhouse.cfm|archive-date=25 June 2005}}</ref> The Round House had eight cells and a jailer's residence, which all opened up into a central courtyard. In the 1800s, bay [[Whaling in Western Australia|whaling]] was carried out from [[Bathers Beach, Fremantle|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 [[Victorian architecture|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.

[[File:Fremantle Prison front , Western Australia.jpg|thumb|left|[[Fremantle Prison]], a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]]]]
When the first 75 [[convict]]s 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 the [[British Empire]]. It housed British convicts, local prisoners, military prisoners, enemy aliens and prisoners of war. In 2010, Fremantle Prison was placed on the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage List]] as part of the "[[Australian Convict Sites]]", making it the first built environment in Western Australia to be bestowed this honour.<ref>[http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/Cultural_Heritage/heritagesignificance/worldheritagelist/Pages/default.aspx Fremantle Prison inscribed on the World Heritage list] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217233418/http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/Cultural_Heritage/heritagesignificance/worldheritagelist/Pages/default.aspx |date=17 February 2011 }}</ref> It continues to be accessible to the public for guided tours and as a venue for artistic and cultural activities.<ref>[http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/About_Us/missionvisionandobjectives/Pages/default.aspx Mission, vision and objectives] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820090757/http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/About_Us/missionvisionandobjectives/Pages/default.aspx |date=20 August 2009 }} at Fremantle Prison official site</ref>

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 [[psychiatric hospital|lunatic asylum]] building on Ord Street, and is one of Fremantle's most significant landmarks.<ref>[http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/oursites/freohistory/freohistory.asp Welcome to the Fremantle History Museum] WA Museum site, with photographs</ref> <!-- This museum has now moved - see the website referred to in the previous ref --> Today, the imposing [[Victorian Gothic]] building and its historic courtyards are used for art exhibitions and music concerts.

[[File:AU-fremantle-cap-strip.jpg|thumb|The [[Sail and Anchor Hotel]] and [[Fremantle Markets]] on the Cappuccino Strip]]
The [[Fremantle Markets]] opened in 1897, forming a precinct providing handicrafts, specialty foods, dining halls and fish and vegetable markets. The area also hosts [[street performance|buskers]] and other street performers. The then [[Premier of Western Australia|premier]], [[John Forrest|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]] and the state's Heritage Council in 1980. The Fremantle Markets are adjacent to several other historic buildings, including the [[Sail and Anchor Hotel]] (which contains a [[microbrewery]]), the [[Norfolk Hotel, Fremantle|Norfolk Hotel]], the Warders Cottages, the [[Fremantle Technical School]], [[Fremantle Synagogue]] and [[Scots Presbyterian Church, Fremantle|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.<ref name="dada10" /> For example, the [[art deco]] [[Oriana Cinema]] on the corner of Queen and High streets was demolished in 1972, after only 34 years of operation.<ref name="Freo LHC search results">{{cite web |url=http://fremantle.wip.seamless.com.au/imglib/html/iframelocalhistory.cfm?keywords=oriana+cinema&keywordMatchMode=ALL&dates=&searchTreeNodeId=1&formAction=RUN |title=Search results for 'Oriana Cinema' |author=Fremantle Local History Centre |work=Fremantle Local History Centre's photographic collection |access-date=14 January 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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.<ref name="dada10" />

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.<ref>[http://fremantle.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-news/New-life-for-old-National/7528231/ New life for old National] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322151810/http://fremantle.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-news/New-life-for-old-National/7528231/ |date=22 March 2012 }}, inmycommunity.com.au. Retrieved 14 May 2011.</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20121230234217/http://www.national-hotel-fremantle.com.au/about-the-hotel/development-plan/ Development Plans], National Hotel Fremantle. Retrieved 1 September 2012.</ref>

==Demographics==
[[File:St Patrick's Basilica, Fremantle.jpg|thumb|[[St Patrick's Basilica, Fremantle|St Patrick's Basilica]]]]
In the [[2021 Australian census]], 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%).<ref name="Census2021Y">{{cite web | url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA53430 | title=2021 Fremantle, Census All persons QuickStats &#124; Australian Bureau of Statistics }}</ref>

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]] and 7.5% not stated.<ref name="Census2021Y"/>

==Education==

===Tertiary institutions===

Fremantle's tertiary education institutions are:[[File:Fremantle Notre Dame Tannock Hall.jpg|thumb|The University of Notre Dame's Tannock Hall, located in Fremantle's West End.]]
* [[University of Notre Dame Australia]] – 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dame |first=Notre |date=2018-03-16 |title=Fremantle |url=https://www.notredame.edu.au/about-us/our-campuses-and-facilities/fremantle |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=Notre Dame |language=en}}</ref> The restored historic buildings of the campus lend a distinctive character to Notre Dame.
* [[South Metropolitan TAFE]] ([[Technical and further education|Technical And Further Education]]) – has several 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 range of courses from Certificate I to Advanced Diploma level across various campuses and across a range of disciplines.
* [[Curtin University]] Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP) – CUSP was established in January 2008 and is headed by [[Peter Newman (environmental scientist)|Peter Newman]]. CUSP has a strong affinity with Fremantle, which in itself is widely regarded as being at the forefront of sustainable practices.{{cn|date=May 2023}} The institute welcomes PhD and Masters by Research students, and is offering a coursework Masters in Sustainability.<ref name="Curtin University sustainability">{{cite web|title=Curtin University sustainability|url=http://sustainability.curtin.edu.au/|access-date=18 February 2013}}</ref>

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]]
* [[CBC Fremantle|Christian Brothers' College]] (CBC)
*Seton Catholic College

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

==Economy==
[[File:Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour.jpg|thumb|Locals and tourists travel to the [[Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour]] for seafood]]
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.<ref name="http://economy.id.com.au/Default.aspx?id=372&pg=12000">{{cite web|title=Economic profile for the City of Fremantle|url=http://economy.id.com.au/Default.aspx?id=372&pg=12000|access-date=18 February 2013}}</ref>

==Media==
Fremantle was served by a [[Community Newspaper Group]] paper, ''The Fremantle–Cockburn Gazette'', until 2021, when it was replaced by ''PerthNow – Fremantle''. The independent local newspaper, the ''[[Fremantle Herald]]'', also serves the region.

Fremantle also has two radio stations: [[Radio Fremantle]] on 107.9FM and [[91.3 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.

==Culture==
[[File:Shipwreck Galleries, Fremantle, WA.JPG|thumb|The [[Western Australian Museum]]'s [[Commissariat Buildings|Shipwreck Galleries]] contain many artefacts from the infamous ''[[Batavia (1628 ship)|Batavia]]'', which wrecked off the Western Australian coast in 1629.]]
[[File:Fremantle Festival.jpg|thumb|Fremantle Festival]]
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',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Kate|date=26 November 2020|title=The Weekender: Fremantle, Western Australia|url=https://www.hunterandbligh.com.au/travel/the-weekender-fremantle-wa/|access-date=3 December 2020}}</ref> a section of South Terrace known for its ''[[Al fresco dining|al fresco]]'' dining culture.<ref name="freo">O'Brien, Katrina; Swaffer, Andrew. ''West Coast Australia Handbook''. Footprint Travel Guides, 2003. {{ISBN|1-903471-55-9}}, p. 98</ref> The [[Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour|Fishing Boat Harbour]] has become a tourist precinct, with a mixture of [[microbreweries]], restaurants and some of Australia's largest fish and chip shops.<ref name="freo"/> 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.<ref name=perthsecrets/> The harbour's annual Fremantle Sardine Festival on [[Esplanade Park, Fremantle|Esplanade Park]] attracts thousands of seafood lovers every year.<ref>[http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/holidaytype/winedine/654039/food-festivals Food Festivals] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930063322/http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/holidaytype/winedine/654039/food-festivals |date=30 September 2011 }}, Ninemsn Travel (19 July 2006). Retrieved 17 May 2011.</ref> Other annual events held at the harbour include [[Araluen Botanic Park#Events|Araluen's Fremantle Chilli Festival]], the Fremantle Boat Show, and the traditional Italian [[Blessing of the Fleet]] ceremony.<ref>[http://www.fremantlefishingboatharbour.com/events.asp Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour :: Events] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322015856/http://www.fremantlefishingboatharbour.com/events.asp |date=22 March 2011 }}, fremantlefishingboatharbour.com. Retrieved 19 June 2011.</ref>

Fremantle—along with the inner suburbs [[Northbridge, Western Australia|Northbridge]], [[Leederville, Western Australia|Leederville]] and [[Subiaco, Western Australia|Subiaco]]—is one of Perth's major nightlife hubs.<ref>Ashworth, Susie; Bain, Carolyn; Smitz, Paul. ''Lonely Planet Australia''. [[Lonely Planet]], 2004. {{ISBN|1-74059-447-9}}, p. 847</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fremantle Festival|url=http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/festivals/Fremantle_Festival|work=City of Fremantle|access-date=26 February 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302071031/http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/festivals/Fremantle_Festival|archive-date=2 March 2013}}</ref> International street performers converge for the Fremantle Street Arts Festival, held over the Easter holiday period.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fremantle Arts & Artists|url=http://www.fremantlewesternaustralia.com.au/fremantlearts.htm|work=A Travel guide to Fremantle Western Australia|access-date=26 February 2013}}</ref> The Fremantle Heritage Festival celebrates local history with a variety of events, tours, concerts and workshops.<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite web|title=Heritage Festival|url=http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/festivals/Heritage_Festival|work=City of Fremantle|access-date=26 February 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213204805/http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/festivals/Heritage_Festival|archive-date=13 February 2013}}</ref>

Fremantle is also home to several galleries and museums. The [[Western Australian Museum]] has two branches in Fremantle: the [[Commissariat Buildings#WA Shipwrecks Museum|Shipwreck Galleries]], housed in convict-constructed [[commissariat]] buildings and known for its artefacts from the wrecked [[Dutch East India Company]] ship ''[[Batavia (1628 ship)|Batavia]]'' and other 17th-century Dutch ships; and the [[Western Australian Museum#Maritime and Shipwrecks Museums|Maritime Museum]] on [[Victoria Quay, Fremantle|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 ===
[[File:Fremantle Arts Centre 2009.jpg|thumb|[[Fremantle Arts Centre]]]]
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]] situated on Bathers' Beach. J Shed houses four artists studios. [[Fremantle Customs House|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.

[[File:Grave of Bon Scott, Fremantle Cemetery, Western Australia - 20060218.jpg|thumb|left|[[Bon Scott]]'s gravesite at Fremantle Cemetery is reputedly the most visited grave in Australia.]]
Known as a music hub, Fremantle has given rise to many notable musicians, including [[AC/DC]] frontman [[Bon Scott]], who grew up in the city and whose gravesite at [[Fremantle Cemetery]] has become a cultural landmark.<ref>Weber, Mark (17 February 2006). [http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2006/s1572841.htm "Bon Scott's grave given heritage listing"], ''[[PM (ABC Radio)|PM]]'', [[Radio National|ABC Radio National]]. Retrieved 5 June 2011.</ref> A statue of Scott was erected in 2009 at the Fishing Boat Harbour.<ref>[http://www.gregjamessculpture.com/publicArt.php#bonscott Bon Scott] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116110553/http://www.gregjamessculpture.com/publicArt.php#bonscott |date=16 January 2010 }} Greg James Sculpture-Public Art</ref> [[Dom Mariani]] also grew up in Fremantle, as did [[James Baker (musician)|James Baker]], and in the mid-1970s, fellow [[punk rock]] pioneer [[Kim Salmon]] resided at the [[Tarantella Night Club]], where he made his first public performances.<ref>"The Unofficial Kim Salmon Story" (May 1991). ''Pig Meat'', Issue 3.</ref> [[John Butler (musician)|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]] all have Fremantle connections, and belong to what has been dubbed the 'Freo Sound'.<ref>O'Donnell, Mick (13 October 2004). [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1219501.htm "'Freo Sound' dominates ARIA nominations"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324231034/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1219501.htm |date=24 March 2017 }}, ''[[The 7.30 Report]]''. Retrieved 24 May 2011.</ref> Other notable Fremantle musicians include bassist [[Martyn P. Casey]],<ref>Ferguson, Katherine (6 May 2008). [http://emunews.murdoch.edu.au/archive/2008/entertainment27.htm "Mid-aged musos to release first album"], ''[[Murdoch University|eMU News]]''. Retrieved 6 November 2011.</ref> psychedelic rock groups [[Tame Impala]] and [[Pond (Australian band)|Pond]],<ref>Griffin, Gil (18 June 2013). [http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/2013-06-18/international-stars-local-legends "International stars, local legends"], Fremantle Football Club. Retrieved 10 June 2014.</ref> and indie pop band [[San Cisco]]. Songs about Fremantle include the title track of [[Paul Kelly (Australian musician)|Paul Kelly]]'s 1987 album ''[[Under the Sun (Paul Kelly album)|Under the Sun]]'',<ref>Horsburgh, Susan (4 June 2007). [http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/executive-style/culture/song-lines-20090518-b8o9.html "Song lines"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109190043/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/executive-style/culture/song-lines-20090518-b8o9.html |date=9 November 2011 }}, ''[[Brisbane Times]]''. Retrieved 26 May 2011.</ref> The Waifs' 2004 single "[[Bridal Train]]",<ref>Brabazon, Tara. ''Liverpool of the South Seas: Perth and its Popular Music''. Perth: [[UWA Publishing]], 2005. {{ISBN|1-920694-30-7}}, p. 217</ref> and much of Eskimo Joe's 2004 album ''[[A Song is a City]]''. Fremantle is home to a number of independent labels, including [[Redline Records]], co-run by [[Jebediah]] frontman and Fremantle-native [[Kevin Mitchell (musician)|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 [[RTRFM#Fremantle Winter Music Festival|Fremantle Winter Music Festival]],<ref>[http://www.rtrfm.com.au/events/125 Events / Fremantle Winter Music Festival], rtrfm.com.au. Retrieved 26 May 2011.</ref> and the [[St Jerome's Laneway Festival]]. The Fremantle Eisteddfod, running annually at the [[Fremantle Town Hall]], supports young artists with prizes and concerts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fremantleeisteddfod.org.au/|title=Fremantle Eisteddfod|website=Fremantle Eisteddfod|access-date=16 August 2020|archive-date=15 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815125205/https://fremantleeisteddfod.org.au/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Rainbow Sea Container on Canning Highway, Fremantle, December 2021 01.jpg|thumb|The Containbow sculpture]]
Fremantle has served as the setting for several films. ''[[Windrider]]'' (1986) was shot in Fremantle and starred [[Nicole Kidman]].<ref>[http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/whats_on/media_releases/wa_films WA Films at the State Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104051739/http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/whats_on/media_releases/wa_films |date=4 November 2011 }}, slwa.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 22 November 2011.</ref> In the 2004 film ''[[Thunderstruck (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 (film)|Bran Nue Dae]]'' were shot in Fremantle's West End. Other films shot and/or set in Fremantle include ''[[Wind (1992 film)|Wind]]'' (1992), ''[[Teesh and Trude]]'' (2003) and ''[[Two Fists, One Heart]]'' (2008).

The children's television series ''[[The Sleepover Club (TV series)|The Sleepover Club]]'' and ''[[Streetsmartz]]'' were set and shot in Fremantle.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382482/locations Filming locations for "The Sleepover Club"], imdb.com. Retrieved 1 June 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454584/locations Filming locations for "Streetsmartz"], imdb.com. Retrieved 1 June 2011.</ref> In 2006, Fremantle Prison was featured on an [[The Amazing Race 9#Leg 8 (Oman → Australia)|episode]] of the [[The Amazing Race (American TV series)|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 (actress)|Emma Booth]], [[Ewen Leslie]], [[David Franklin (actor)|David Frankflin]], [[Mary Ward (actress)|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 [[Australia's Next Top Model, Cycle 5|fifth cycle]] of ''[[Australia's Next Top Model]]''.

===Sport and recreation===
[[File:Fremantle Harbour Classic.jpg|thumb|Yachts compete in the annual Fremantle Harbour Classic, held within the confines of the Inner Harbour]]
Global attention turned to Fremantle when it hosted the [[America's Cup]] [[1987 America's Cup|yachting race]] in 1987, after Australia was the first country to ever win the race, aside from the US, in [[1983 America's Cup|1983]]. The unsuccessful cup defence was conducted on the waters in [[Gage Roads]], and is considered a hallmark event of the late 20th century revitalisation and gentrification of the city.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hall | first1=C. Michael | last2=Selwood |first2=John H. |editor-first1=Michael |editor-last1=Fagence |editor-first2=Stephen |editor-last2=J. Craig-Smith |title=Recreation and Tourism as a Catalyst for Urban Waterfront Development: An International Survey |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |year=1995 |chapter=Chapter 7: Event Tourism and the Creation of a Postindustrial Portscape: The Case of Fremantle and the 1987 America's Cup |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4ffhKxKeixgC&pg=PA105 |isbn=0-275-94550-2 |pages=105–114}}</ref> Fremantle has subsequently served as a stopover in the [[Clipper Round the World Yacht Race|Clipper]], [[Velux 5 Oceans Race|Velux]] and [[Volvo Ocean Race|Volvo]] round-the-world yacht races, and hosted the [[2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships]], a major qualifying event for the [[2012 Summer Olympics]].<ref>Longley, John (28 November 2011). [http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/opinion/post/-/blog/talkingpoint/post/112/ "Sailors chase Olympic dreams"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120716191942/http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/opinion/post/-/blog/talkingpoint/post/112/ |date=16 July 2012 }}, ''[[The West Australian]]''. Retrieved 1 January 2012.</ref>

[[File:Fremantle Oval Statue.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Statue of [[John Gerovich]]'s [[spectacular mark]] in the 1956 WAFL preliminary final. [[Fremantle Oval]]'s 1890s Victoria Pavilion is in the background.]]

Organised [[Australian rules football]] was first played in Fremantle in the early 1880s with the [[Fremantle Football Club (1882–1886)|Fremantle Football Club]], a founding member of the [[West Australian Football League|West Australian Football Association]] in 1885. The club disbanded at the end of the 1886 season after winning its first premiership.<ref name="footy">Devaney, John. ''Full Points Footy's WA Football Companion''. Full Points Publications, 2008. pp. 104–105. {{ISBN|0-9556897-1-6}}.</ref> 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 Football Club|East Fremantle]] (1898–), [[South Fremantle Football Club|South Fremantle]] (1900–), and [[North Fremantle Football Club|North Fremantle]] (1901–1915).<ref name="footy"/> The East Fremantle Sharks are by far the most successful club in the [[West Australian Football League]], winning a total of 30 premierships.<ref>Townsend, Josh (3 June 2011). [http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/wafl/9570200/sharks-have-most-to-lose/ "Sharks have most to lose"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210033258/http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/wafl/9570200/sharks-have-most-to-lose/ |date=10 December 2011 }}, ''[[The West Australian]]''. Retrieved 8 June 2011.</ref> [[East Fremantle Oval]] has been the team's home ground since 1953. Today, Fremantle is represented in the [[Australian Football League]] by the [[Fremantle Football Club|Fremantle Dockers]], who previously trained at the heritage-listed [[Fremantle Oval]], shared with South Fremantle, and play their home matches at [[Perth Stadium]] (also known as Optus Stadium) in [[Burswood, Western Australia|Burswood]]. The club's main [[Western Derby|rivalry]] is with the Perth-based [[West Coast Eagles]]. In 2013, the Dockers played in (and lost<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-28/redemption-for-hawks-with-win-over-dockers/4987166|title=AFL grand final: Hawthorn makes up for 2012 loss with 15-point win over Fremantle at MCG|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=28 September 2013|access-date=28 September 2013}}</ref>) their first [[AFL Grand Final|Grand Final]].<ref>[http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/History/ClubRecords/OverallRecord/tabid/13455/default.aspx Season by Season Record] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304161034/http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/History/ClubRecords/OverallRecord/tabid/13455/default.aspx |date=4 March 2011 }}, fremantlefc.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2011.</ref> The Fremantle [[Fremantle Football Club#AFL Women's team|women's team]] has competed in [[AFL Women's]] since 2017 and play their home games at Fremantle Oval.

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 cricket|Test]] players including [[Graeme Wood (cricketer)|Graeme Wood]], [[Brad Hogg]], [[Geoff Marsh]] and sons [[Shaun Marsh]] and [[Mitchell Marsh]]. Fremantle is represented in state league soccer by [[Fremantle City FC]] who play in the [[National Premier Leagues Western Australia]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-06 |title=2025 NPLWA - Men's fixtures |url=https://www.footballwest.com.au/news/2025-nplwa-mens-fixtures |access-date=2025-04-05 |publisher=Football West |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-06 |title=2025 NPLWA - Women's fixtures |url=https://www.footballwest.com.au/news/2025-nplwa-womens-fixtures |access-date=2025-04-05 |publisher=Football West |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Port Beach Fremantle.jpg|thumb|Bathers and kite surfers at Port Beach]]
Fremantle is home to five beaches: [[Bathers Beach, Fremantle|Bathers Beach]], River Beach, [[South Fremantle, Western Australia#South Beach|South Beach]], Leighton Beach and Port Beach. The city's strong afternoon sea breeze, known locally as the [[Fremantle Doctor|Freo Doctor]], has made its beaches a prime location for [[Windsurfing|wind]] and [[kite surfing]]. The Fremantle [[Surf Life Saving Club]] has been active since the 1930s.<ref>Walton, Graham (2001). [http://www.freosurf.fremantlesurfclub.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=71 Fremantle Surf Lifesaving Club History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110414173838/http://www.freosurf.fremantlesurfclub.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=71 |date=14 April 2011 }}, freosurf.com.au. Retrieved 17 May 2011.</ref> Fishing takes place at the many jetties and [[groynes]] surrounding Challenger, Success Boat and Fishing Boat harbours, and along [[Blackwall Reach (Western Australia)|Blackwall Reach]] at the Swan River, which is also used for [[canoeing]], [[rock climbing]] and [[Cliff jumping|cliff diving]].<ref name=perthsecrets>Hayes, Joshua (12 May 2006). [http://3degree.ecu.edu.au/articles/300 "Perth's best kept secrets"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164511/http://3degree.ecu.edu.au/articles/300 |date=2 April 2015 }}, ''3rd Degree'', [[Edith Cowan University]] Journal. Retrieved 4 June 2011.</ref> A chain of islands listed as A Class [[nature reserve]]s lie within 20&nbsp;km (12&nbsp;mi) of Fremantle, and are accessible by ferry or private boat. The largest and most well-known island is [[Rottnest Island]], followed by [[Garden Island (Western Australia)|Garden Island]] and [[Carnac Island]]. Each island is home to [[endemism|endemic]] flora and fauna, and provide opportunities for [[List of water sports|water-based activities]] such as [[sunbathing]], [[surfing]], [[snorkelling]] and [[scuba diving]].<ref>[http://www.escapadecharters.com.au/fremantle_waters.aspx Fremantle Tours: Fremantle Waters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606032024/http://www.escapadecharters.com.au/fremantle_waters.aspx |date=6 June 2012 }}, escapadecharters.com.au. Retrieved 18 June 2011.</ref>

==Transportation==
{{See also|Trams in Fremantle}}
[[File:WTFr Nov 2011 gnangarra-60.jpg|thumb|A train on the [[Fremantle railway line|Fremantle line]]]]
Fremantle is home to Western Australia's largest working port.<ref name="About Fremantle Ports">{{cite web|title=About Fremantle Ports|url=http://www.fremantleports.com.au/About/Pages/default.aspx|access-date=31 October 2012}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Fremantle Ports: Western Gateway to World Trade">{{cite web|title=Fremantle Ports: Western Gateway to World Trade|url=http://www.fremantleports.com.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/General%20brochure%20-%20Western%20Gateway%20to%20World%20Trade.pdf|access-date=31 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526170008/http://www.fremantleports.com.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/General%20brochure%20-%20Western%20Gateway%20to%20World%20Trade.pdf|archive-date=26 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The city is the western terminus of the direct, electrified passenger railway service from the Perth CBD, served by [[Fremantle 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, the [[Fremantle railway line]] being the starting point of the first railway in 1881 to [[Guildford, Western Australia|Guildford]].

Major highways, the [[Stirling Highway]], [[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)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Poulsen |first1=Adam |title=Fremantle could axe free CAT buses |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/fremantle/city-of-fremantle-to-launch-free-cat-bus-review-considers-service-changes-c-1370227 |access-date=9 July 2021 |work=PerthNow |date=27 October 2020 |language=en}}</ref> linking key points in the city and to Fremantle's inner suburbs. But ceased operations in October 2023<ref name="CAT Bus">{{cite web|title=CAT Bus|url=http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/sustainability/CAT_bus|access-date=31 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010154755/http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/sustainability/CAT_bus|archive-date=10 October 2012}}</ref>

== Health ==
[[File:AUS Perth, Fremantle, South Terrace 001.jpg|thumb|Fremantle Hospital]]
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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Your Hospital Stay|url=http://www.fhhs.health.wa.gov.au/patients/stay.aspx|work=Fremantle Hospital & Health Service|publisher=Fremantle Hospital}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Education and Research|url=http://www.fhhs.health.wa.gov.au/education/default.aspx|work=Fremantle Hospital & Health Services|publisher=Fremantle Hospital|access-date=26 February 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Education and Research|url=http://www.fhhs.health.wa.gov.au/education/default.aspx|work=Fremantle Hospital & Health Service|publisher=Fremantle Hospital|access-date=26 February 2013}}</ref>

== Sister and friendship cities ==
Fremantle has [[twin towns and sister cities|sister city]] relationships with five cities and friendship city relationships with three cities.<ref>[http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/City_of_Fremantle/Sister_cities_and_international_relations Sister cities and international relations]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010150726/http://www.fremantle.wa.gov.au/cityoffremantle/Sister_cities_and_international_relations |date=10 October 2012 }}, fremantle.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 22 May 2011.</ref> Some of the relationships reflect Fremantle's historic migrant population. They are (in chronological order):

* {{flagicon|Malaysia}} [[Seberang Perai]], [[Malaysia]] (since 1978)
* {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Yokosuka, Kanagawa|Yokosuka]], Japan (since 1979)
* {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Capo d'Orlando]], Italy (since 1983)
* {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Molfetta]], Italy (since 1984)
* {{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Funchal]], [[Portugal]] (since 1996)

Fremantle also has friendship-city relationships with three cities:

* {{flagicon|Indonesia}} [[Padang, Indonesia|Padang]], Indonesia (since 1996)
* {{flagicon|Indonesia}} [[Surabaya]], [[Indonesia]] (since 1996)
* {{flagicon|Croatia}} [[Korčula]], [[Croatia]] (since 1999)

== See also ==
{{Portal|Western Australia}}
* [[List of people from Fremantle]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist |30em}}

==References==
{{Refbegin |30em |indent=yes}}
*{{cite Q |Q136436246 |last=Favenc |first=Ernest |author-link=Ernest Favenc }}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFFavenc1908}}
*{{cite book |last=Goulding |first=Dot |year=2007 |title=Recapturing Freedom: Issues Relating to the Release of Long-term Prisoners into the Community |publisher=Hawkins Press |isbn=978-1876067182 }}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{sister project auto}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Fremantle}}

* [http://www.fremantlechamber.com.au/ Fremantle Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.fremantlewesternaustralia.com.au/ Fremantle Local Tourist Guide]
* [http://www.fremantleports.com.au/ Fremantle Port Authority]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160924194651/http://fremantle.org.au/ Fremantle Tourism]

{{Cities of Western Australia}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Fremantle| ]]

[[Category:1829 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1829]]