The story of Fremantle Prison, built between 1851 and 1859, lies at the heart of Western Australia’s Convict Era. If you thought being arrested was bad enough, try being arrested, shipped around the world and then forced to build your own jail. If that seems a bit harsh, well, welcome to Fremantle Prison.
A prison might seem like a strange place to put on a bucket list, but trust me, it’s a worthy addition. I always believe it’s important to understand the history behind the places I visit, even the darker sides. And Fremantle Prison is definitely on the darker side.
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The Beginnings of Western Australia
During the middle of the 19th century, the newly-settled (invading) English were facing a labour-shortage. Unlike the penal colonies on the eastern coast, Western Australia was established as a ‘free settlement’ so they originally refused convict labour, the “brilliant” idea of shipping over petty criminals from back home to lend a not-so-willing hand. Faced with a lack of workers, the free settlement turned their back on their morals. No serious offenders were wanted, so the crimes committed by the first of these convicts were offenses such as larceny (ranging from stealing a loaf of bread to several cows), counterfeiting and fraud. Definitely a harsh sentence for those early convicts, considering that those who wanted to return home to their families once their sentence was complete had to make the long and dangerous journey around the world for a second time. Doesn’t sound like the punishment fit the crime.
After a few years more violent criminals, as well as several political prisoners, were sent over without warning, much to the settlers’ dismay.
After their release many chose to stay in Australia and start new lives instead of returning to Ireland or the United Kingdom. Could you blame them?
After 18 years and 9,721 transported convicts, the government came to their senses and stopped the importation of criminals to the Land Down Under. And so the Convict Establishment became Fremantle Prison. Having taken eight years to build, it was the largest and main prison for the penal colony of Western Australia until its closure in 1991.
Life in Fremantle Prison
Life in the prison was cramped, tough and very unhygienic (they never installed plumbing in the cells, so right up until its closure just three decades ago each prisoner had a red, metal waste bucket they had to empty each morning – eugh).
Number One reason to never be a prison guard at Fremantle Prison: full waste bucket = handy projectile for a disgruntled inmate.
Meals were eaten inside the tiny cells (originally just seven feet long and four feet wide, but later expanded), which had hammocks instead of actual beds, reducing the time prisoners could spend out of them. Many were employed in construction work, tailoring, bootmaking and other production lines, though towards the end of the prison’s life these jobs were more about keeping the inmates busy than it was about actual production.
Fremantle Prison’s history is a morbid one, as you would expect from a long-standing gaol, I guess. It’s a story of tiny jail cells, disease, riots, fires, floggings and hangings. You might be surprised to learn that flogging continued until 1943, and the last of over forty hangings to occur in Fremantle Prison (and all of Western Australia) was as recent as 1964.
After The Closure
Since 1991, Fremantle Prison has been a tourist attraction. In fact, in its last few months of operation as a gaol, when the more serious offenders had been transferred to other prisons, the atmosphere became very relaxed. Murals were permitted, and many talented inmates transformed their cells into works of art, both classical and indigenous in nature.
Fremantle Prison Tours
There are several different tours you can do of the prison, all focusing on a different aspect of life in the prison. Although this does require that you need to spend a little more if you want to experience every tour, it also means that each tour is extremely detailed and chock-full of stories. I personally chose the Doing Time Tour, as it gives the most general overview of the history of the prison and the life of the prisoners inside. Our guide was funny, knowledgeable and very passionate about the history of the prison.
This was easily one of my two favourite tourist experiences in Perth, the other being a day trip to Rottnest Island to find the adorable quokka.
Read more: The Rottnest Island Quokkas, Australia’s Cutest Animal
Other tours focus on the incredible number of escape attempts during the prison’s lifetime (apparently it was one of the easiest prisons in the world to escape from in the early years, so there were many, many attempts), the tunnels below the prison, night-time tours and a special art tour. You can even get married in the prison chapel here if that’s something you’re into (personally, not my cup of tea, but each to their own. I won’t judge).
Now one of eleven sites that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Convict Sites, Fremantle Prison is a unique window into a not-so-pretty part of Australia’s past. This country isn’t all blue skies and golden beaches, which makes it all the more fascinating.
Read more: UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Where I’ve Been
Practical Information:
- Fremantle Prison sits within the town, so it’s really easy to walk to, no more than five minutes from the main square.
- If you’re looking for a unique place to stay, Fremantle Prison has its own YHA Hostel! Stay in a converted prison cell or Victorian-era guard cottage in what used to be the women’s part of the prison. Hang out in the old exercise yard and cook in the prison kitchen. It seems like such a cool experience, one I wish I’d had the chance to have.
- Fremantle (Freo to the locals), while technically a city in its own right, is in practice a southern suburb of Perth, the capital of Western Australia and a very popular place for backpackers and travellers to congregate. It has beaches, cool bars, cafes, shops, gorgeous architecture, even an ocean-side ferris wheel, so there are plenty of other attractions to keep you occupied.
- For more detailed information and current prices of the tours I mentioned above, visit the official Fremantle Prison website.
Is Fremantle Prison somewhere you’d like to visit? Or, if you’ve already been, what did you think? Tell me in the comments below.
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[…] Australian Convict Sites. Covering 11 sites across three states, the only one I’ve been to is Fremantle Prison, which […]