Manjaree / Bathers Beach

"Visit WA’s oldest building at Arthur Head, the Round House, explore an exhibition at the Cultural Centre, listen to live music at the Kidogo Arthouse or kick back on a deckchair at Bathers Beach House to enjoy one of our famous West Aussie sunsets."

Bathers Bay and Bathers Beach were a hub for activity in Fremantle long before European settlement in 1829. It was a major trade route and important meeting place of the Whadjuk people, who named the wider area ‘Walyalup’ and the bay ‘Manjaree’.

‘Manjaree’ translates to ‘fair exchange’ and was a type of festival and camp where Nyoongar people from the southwest, north, and east would meet and trade hunting weapons, clothing, ornaments, and bush tucker. Families gathered for kinship and lawmaking and young men and women who had ‘come of age’ met their future partners.

You can walk the Manjaree trail at Arthur Head Reserve, part of the Nyoongar coastal trail which stretches across Western Australia, to discover the significance of the area’s Aboriginal history.

“Kya Wanju Nichia Nyoongar wardan bidi, winjalla gnulla kaatidj bal gwabbanijow.” (This is the Nyoongar coastal trail, where our knowledge is put right.)

Arthur Head is a Class A reserve that holds deep social, spiritual, and cultural significance for the Nyoongar people as well as heritage significance for the geological value of its ancient limestone headland, its connection to Australia’s earliest inhabitants, and its role in Fremantle’s post-settlement history.

The Round House is the oldest public building in Western Australia, opening just 18 months after settlement when it was used to hold any person convicted of a crime until 1886, after which it became a police lockup and later accommodation for the Water Police. Today, it’s an attraction that explores the heritage of WA's oldest building, Arthur Head’s history as a defence site for Fremantle Port, and the expansive view over Bathers Beach. The Round House is open from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm daily and entry is free. Don't miss the firing of the cannon at 1pm!

As port activities expanded the bay became busy with boatbuilding and associated trades, and in 1837, the Fremantle Whaling Company built a jetty and established operations on the beach. The original whaling and boat-building structures are now buried under sand but the Whaler’s Tunnel, which was built through the cliff to link the jetty to High Street, remains.

Today, the Manjaree area is a vibrant and culturally rich area where the bay’s sparkling beachfront, history, and bustling art, food, and music scenes are celebrated in equal measure. The Bathers Beach Art Precinct is home to artists, studios, exhibition spaces, the Walyalup Aboriginal Cultural Centre, and the Kidogo Arthouse. Once a store for dangerous goods, the Arthouse is now a contemporary art gallery, live music venue, and pop-up bar reminiscent of the West Coast of Ireland.

View an exhibition, take part in a workshop at the Cultural Centre, enjoy a sunset lounge concert on the deck at the Arthouse or get a cocktail delivered right to your sun lounger at Bathers Beach House, the first bar in Australia to offer a truly beachfront food and beverage service.