Waterfront
Right where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean, encompassing Bathers Beach Art Precinct, Arthur Head and Victoria Quay. THIS IS FREMANTLE’S WATERFRONT.
Pedestrian crossings connect the town centre and waterfront between which freight trains rumble through the city. Passenger trains bring visitors in along the coast from Perth CBD.
The Bathers Beach area, known as Manjaree, which translates to fair exchange in the language of the Whadjuk people, was a place of trade and family gathering for kinship and law making for more than 50,000 years.
The Waterfront is significant as the place where Captain Charles Fremantle, after whom the port city is named, claimed the area and established the Swan River Colony in 1829.
Insiders tip
A statue of CY O'Connor, by Pietro Porcelli, can be seen at the entrance to Victoria Quay overlooking Fremantle. CY O'Connor engineered the construction of the 530km long pipeline to bring water from Perth to the goldfields in 1894-1903.
Victoria Quay is the main gateway to Western Australia for international cruise travel and ferries carrying holiday makers to Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) WA’s favourite holiday island and home of the famous quokka.
WA’s oldest public building, the Round House sits at the highest point of the town.
Bathers Beach Art Precinct is home to artists, studios, exhibition spaces and Walyalup Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Kidogo Arthouse resides in the original store for dangerous goods arriving at the Long Jetty (located off Bathers Bay) and is now a contemporary art gallery, live music venue and pop-up bar reminiscent of the West Coast of Ireland.
Locals know and love the area for a place to gather at sunset, swim or have a drink served to one of the deckchairs on Bathers Beach - it’s Western Australia’s first licensed beach area.
Victoria Quay sitting on Fremantle Harbour provides access to WA’s largest working port and is home to the E Shed Markets, WA Maritime Museum, HMAS Ovens Submarine, STS Leeuwin II (when in port) and Gage Roads Freo.
Getting here
The Waterfront is a short walk directly west from Fremantle Bus & Train Station along Phillimore or High Streets.
A beach wheelchair is available for free hire from the Shipwrecks Museum on Cliff Street. To book, call 9431 8469 or email reception@museum.wa.gov.au.
