History and Heritage

A port rich in history

The Fremantle Inner Harbour is at the mouth of the Swan River, on the edge of the Indian Ocean and a gateway to Western Australia. This is a place of plentiful resources where people met for thousands of years as well as a place of spiritual meaning where ancestors walked, camped, hunted and fished, naming the features they saw.

In the early years of European settlement, the port comprised various wooden jetties in the area known as Bathers Beach and Arthur Head. These jetties were exposed to the elements, including the strong south-westerly winds known locally as the Fremantle Doctor. Work began on the Fremantle Inner Harbour, designed by State Engineer CY O'Connor, in 1892 and the harbour was officially opened on 4 May 1897.

The port has played a significant part in Western Australia's development and history, including wartime.

Deepwater bulk facilities in the Outer Harbour, 22 kilometres south at Kwinana, were first developed in 1955 to service the Kwinana industrial area, which expanded rapidly in the 1960s and 70s.

Passenger and ship records

If you are seeking passenger and shipping records for ships that called at Fremantle Port, start searching on the Australian shipping and passenger records on Trove (National Library of Australia). Put in as many details (ship, passenger name, year) as you can.

Also, see contact details below. Please note that ship registers are only registers of ships by date of arrival with a limited amount of detail and no passenger information.

Passenger records up to 1963:

JS Battye Library of West Australian History

State Library of Western Australia

Alexander Library Building

Perth Cultural Centre

PERTH WA 6000

Telephone (08) 9427 3111

https://slwa.wa.gov.au/

Passenger records from 1963 onwards:

National Archives

384 Berwick Street

EAST VICTORIA PARK WA 6101

PO Box 1144 EAST VICTORIA PARK WA 6981

Telephone (08) 9470 7500; Fax: 9470 2787

http://www.naa.gov.au/

Ship registers up to 1954:

State Records Office of Western Australia

Ground Floor

Alexander Library Building

Perth Cultural Centre

PERTH WA 6000

Telephone (08) 9427 3360

http://www.sro.wa.gov.au/

Ship registers from 1954 onwards:

Fremantle Ports, phone (08) 9430 3555 for an appointment.

Indigenous History

The Whadjuk people have had a close connection with the Fremantle area (Walyalup) for tens of thousands of years.

Port's Early History

The Fremantle Inner Harbour was designed by State Engineer CY O'Connor and opened in 1897.

Wartime

The Port of Fremantle has had a vital wartime role since the Boer War.

Labour History

The history of Fremantle Port is a story of effort and determination on the part of the many people over the years involved in its development.

Shipping History

In 1897, there were 474 ship visits. They were sailing vessels and steam and sail. Today, huge cargo and cruise ships call.

Trade History

Major imports through the port in the early years of its history were manufactured goods, food products and some raw materials such as coal.

Fremantle Passenger Terminal

The iconic Fremantle Passenger Terminal building, built in the post-war international style, was opened in two stages in 1960 and 1962.

Administration Building

Designed in the post-war international style, Fremantle Ports' Administration Building was opened in 1964.

Container Trade

The port played a pioneering role in the development of containerisation in Australia, with the first international container ship arriving in 1969.

Find out how you can explore the port or get ferry and cruise info...

Visit our Victoria Quay Website