When we left Yanchep last Wednesday morning we headed down the freeway just 80kms to South Fremantle, where we have been based, and from which we have enjoyed the energetic vibe and interesting history that this region offers. As well as being at the mouth of the Swan River; the home of the successful Australian Americas Cup win; having delightful beaches and lots of history, Fremantle is a vibrant and colourful city that is very easy to ‘take in’ walking around its many small and colourful streets. It’s a great place for lots of walking, bike riding and people watching.

Steve has always wanted to visit the exclusive Fremantle Sailing Club, so this was our first port of call.

The very classy Fremantle Sailing Club

We strolled down the marina legs admiring the size and scale of the waterways before enjoying coffee in the bar, looking out over the water. On a beautiful sunny day this is an easy place to spend time and admire! From here we walked along Marine Terrace checking out the Fishing Boat Harbour, restaurants and cafes, before walking through the many streets of Fremantle, enjoying the heritage buildings from the 1800s, and the many boutique shops, cafes and restaurants before visiting WAs oldest remaining intact building, the Round House on the headland overlooking the river mouth and Cockburn Sound.

The historic Round House

This was also an ideal site for navigation lights and a signalling station. The Round House was built in the 1830s as the Swan River Colony’s gaol, then housed convicts once they arrived from 1850. There were also cottages, two lighthouses and a courthouse nearby. Once Fremantle Prison became part of the penal system in 1886, it was used for a short time as a lock up by the police and then in 1900 it became living quarters for a chief constable. What an interesting place to visit and learn more on local penal history! Of real interest is that a time ball was established near the Round House and signalling station in 1900 as part of a procedure to give mariners and residents an exact daily time check. How this worked is that a 10 minute canon would go off, so that the ship’s captain knew to be prepared for a time check. Then the ball was hoisted to the top of the tower 3 minutes to 1pm and then released at 1pm by an electrical signal. The signal then triggered a shot from a canon to mark the time. This is where the phrase ‘ keep your eye on the ball’ comes from. Whilst this practice was discontinued in January 1937, the station was reactivated in 1998 and every day at 1pm this historic practice continues with the help of volunteers.

Honorary Gunnery Officer Steve getting ready to set off the canon to signal 1pm

Those who know Steve well can guess that he volunteered before anyone else could open their mouths, and so Honorary Gunnery Office Beaumont set off the canon for the day. What a blast and so enjoyable.

I managed to catch-up with a couple of girl friends over long lunches in Fremantle which was great fun. Good time for Steve to clean all the lockers in the motorhome one day and to look around town another, and enjoy listening to some of the very good street buskers who have a strong presence during the afternoons.

Yesterday, in the wet and cold (after a 32 degree hot and sunny day on Saturday) we took a tour of the heritage listed Fremantle Prison, completed by convict labour in the 1850s and actively used until 1991. This was once the most notorious prison in the British Empire housing convicts, local prisoners, military prisoners, enemy aliens and prisoners of war. It was built to house up to 1000 prisoners in the main block which is 4 storeys high.

Jane in her exclusive plastic poncho outside a 7×4 cell….not going in there!

Cells were 7 x4 feet, with a hammock and bucket and that’s it. At one time walls were knocked out in some cells so that they were 7×8 but then they didn’t have enough space so 2 men were placed in each cell. Right through to 1991 there was no sanitation, 8 hours a day had to be spent in the courtyard with no sun shade (other than the last few years), 365 days a year rain or shine. It was a brutal place. There were regular riots and regular escapes. There was a women’s prison established here which operated until the 1970s.

Ohhh, so grim this is not a nice place – the gallows

We toured the main prison, kitchens, solitary confinement (what a morose and depressing place), the CofE church, admin and the gallows, where 46 men and one woman were hanged between 1888 and 1965 (the last hanging was in 1964). That is not a place to spend lots of time, and I wouldn’t want to visit at night!

From here we went to a happier place, the Shipwreck Galleries, one of the most important maritime archaeology museums in the southern hemisphere. Mind you, the building was also built by convicts in the 1850s when stone buildings were built to last! The history of discovery from the 1600s is impressive with hundreds of relics from ships wrecked along the WA coastline, including original timbers from the Batavia (wrecked in 1629),

Restored timbers of the Batavia

the de Vlamingh plate and countless artifacts from the Dutch shipwrecks Zutydorp, Zeewihk and Vergulde Draeck. We managed to while away a few hours taking this all in. We also enjoyed a quick stop at a travel expo where all the main European River tour operators were promoting their wares, so an excellent opportunity to do some comparisons, as one day we would love to do this.

Today has been more of a chores day including those appointments that just need to get done – doctor, dentist, a little shopping. Tomorrow we head up to the Avon Valley for 5 days. Then, alas ‘The Tent’ goes into storage for a period of time and after 3 days in a Perth hotel this leg of our travels comes to an end and we fly across the seas to Waiheke Island for a while.