Welcome everyone to Week 2 of our 52 week tour around Western Australia. This week we travel south from our capital city Perth, to our major port city, Fremantle. I haven't been to Fremantle in a while, so it was fun walking around and taking photos for you this weekend.
Fremantle was established in 1829 as a port for the new Swan River Colony settlement and was the major city in Western Australia for much of its early history. It was here that the first settlers landed on their arrival from England, and it was the first port of call in Australia for many migrants and visitors. Fremantle handles the majority of the State's imports and exports.
Fremantle is a rich mixture of cultures and nationalities -a unique blend of a lively multicultural yet relaxed lifestyle which attracts hundreds of tourists and visitors daily.
Within easy walking and cycling distance, visitors can experience contemporary circus, fine crafts, original music and theatre, exciting galleries, museums, bookshops, buskers, cafes and restaurants, and a lively nightlife. Along with maritime history and extensive architectural conservation, the Arts have become a central part of Fremantle life where visitors can discover the past and present.
Many Arts organisations are housed in historic buildings providing a contemporary use for old warehouses and some of the most spectacular reminders of Fremantle's early history. The University of Notre Dame is also housed across the city in a number of historic buildings.
At the western end of High Street on Arthur Head, a headland overlooking the Indian Ocean is the Round House, Western Australia's oldest building, built as a goal in 1831 two years after the first settlement in Western Australia (the first convicts arrived in 1850). Here you can see the Round House at the end of High Street which is lined with some of the wonderful architecture that is a distinctive part of Fremantle. Underneath the Round House is the Whalers Tunnel built in 1837 by the Fremantle Whaling Company to allow easy access between Fremantle and the ocean.
This is Fremantle's harbour. In this photo you can see a combination of both old and new - the sailing ship Leeuwin taking passengers for a late afternoon cruise, and a huge container ship being brought into dock by tug boats. Near here is the WA Maritime Museum which amongst other exhibits, houses Australia II, the yacht that brought the America's Cup and the next race series to Fremantle and in doing so pulled Fremantle from a port into the lively bustling city it is today. The Leeuwin is a training ship, which my eldest son went on a voyage from Perth to Albany when he was 16.
Boats, the water, and fishing are an integral part of Fremantle. Here is the lively waterfront precinct, where you can have a feed of fish and chips almost any time day or night.
The Fremantle Markets are abuzz with activity and crowds every Saturday and Sunday. It is the place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, gifts, art, clothes, almost anything you can think of. The crowd you see have been watching a street performer.
Thanks for looking everyone. I hope you have enjoyed this small tour. On Tuesday I will bring you some more photos of Fremantle's wonderful architecture and history. And then it is on to Mandurah on Sunday.
If you didn't catch the first week of our tour, see the links here
http://digital-photography-school.co...ing-drive.html
http://digital-photography-school.co...your-days.html