South Fremantle, Western Australia

History

The first development in the area may have been when Richard Goldsmith Meares established a lime burning kiln in 1831. Meares had arrived at the Swan River Colony with Thomas Peel in the previous year.

As the area was adjacent to the relatively safe harbour of Owen's Anchorage in Cockburn Sound, the area began to be used as an alternative destination point for ship arrivals.

In 1898, a railway was built from Fremantle to Robb Jetty. At that time, an abattoir was built for slaughter of livestock arriving from the north-west of the state including the Kimberley Region. Livestock were unloaded from the ships onto a jetty. Extensive pasturing for the animals as well as small market gardens were established in the region around the abattoir.

The Coogee Hotel was built in 1901, and in 1903 the railway was extended to Woodman Point. Commercial lime kilns were established during this period to provide for the construction boom and population growth which had been brought about by gold discoveries.

The area steadily became the centre of much of Perth's heavy industry and comprised the coal-fired power station, railway marshalling yards, abattoir as well as numerous skin drying sheds. From the 1980s however, pressures brought on by demands for residential housing triggered a process of removal of the various facilities.

South Beach

Is the location of an area of beach and adjacent land in SouthFremantle, known as South Beach - the beach, and disused railway station South Beach are parts of the South Fremantle community history.

Railway marshalling yards

A large marshalling yard with signal box tower was built by Western Australian Government Railways in the 1960s during the standard gauge railway line project from Kalgoorlie to Leighton

The yard was decommissioned in the Westrail era in the 1990s.

Robb Jetty Abattoir

Known variously as Robb Jetty, Robbs Jetty and Robb's Jetty, the abattoir grew out of a complex of private meatworks established in the late 19th century, including Forrest, Emanuel & Company and Connor, Doherty & Durack. In 1921 the Fremantle Freezing Works began operation as one of the three State Government regulated abattoirs under the 1909 Abattoir Act.

The abattoir was closed in 1994; the jetty itself was previously dismantled in the 1960s. The chimney is the only remaining part of the large complex of buildings which included offices, holding yards, freezer and chiller facilities. The chimney is listed in the State Register of Heritage Places.

Public transport

South Fremantle is serviced by bus routes 511, 530, 531, 532, 533, 548, 549, 998, 999 and the Fremantle Central Area Transit (CAT).