15 May 2015
With so much to see and do in Fremantle, it’s not hard to be swept up by festivals, buskers, beaches and the many restaurants offering delicious culinary experiences during your stay at your Fremantle accommodation. So why, with all the happenings on in this cultural hot spot, would you bother going for a tour of Fremantle Prison? Well, here are five reasons you can’t miss the opportunity to explore this great building as it is one of the most exciting things to do.
Reason #1 History
History buffs will love this attraction. This is sacred ground for the foundation of Western Australia. The first convicts sent from England to WA in 1850 created the infrastructure that Fremantle is based around today, including the Fremantle Prison. The impressive building took 7 years to build using convict labour, and housed some of the most dangerous prisoners Australia has seen. A ‘Doing Time’ tour of Fremantle Prison will show you how thousands of convicts built the foundation of Western Australia.
Reason #2 The Inmates
In the 136 years this prison was open for business, it has held 350,000 prisoners. That makes for a lot of interesting, sad and shocking stories. Find out about the only woman to be hanged at the prison and the convict who escaped so many times that he was given a pardon and allowed to live a respectable life. Learn about the famous inmate, Eric Edgar Cooke, who was the last person to be hung in the State of Western Australia, and was possibly one of the worst criminals to pass through the prison gates. Take one of the Fremantle Prison Tours to hear more about these famous and dangerous inmates.
Reason #3 The Paranormal
Paranormal researchers have been going to this prison for years to catch a glimpse of ghosts that are said to haunt the prison blocks. The best time for to see these is, of course, at night. Lucky for your, the Fremantle Prison runs a Torchlight Tour that takes place after dark, which includes. A more comprehensive tour of Fremantle’s haunted history is available and includes the Fremantle Prison, the Roundhouse and the Arts Centre (formally the Fremantle Lunatic Asylum).
Reason #4 The Building and Tunnels
The Fremantle Prison takes up 15 hectares and is on the State, National and World Heritage lists, which makes it a seriously impressive piece of architecture. Tunnels run beneath the prison, which provided the inmates with fresh water, have been refurbished for the Tunnel Tours that take place. Each and every stone was placed by the inmates and was seen as a less forceful form of punishment. The building is made up of a main cellblock where up to 1000 convicts slept, the gatehouse which gave guards eyes over the inmates, workshops where inmates were able to learn a trade, a women’s prison and a hospital. Each building has it’s own dramatic history.
Reason #5 It Makes Sense
This historical site will make sense of everything you see in Fremantle. It will give you an introduction to the city and cultural respect for the traditions and locations that are important to West Australians. Taking a tour of the Fremantle Prison is guaranteed to be one of your most memorable holiday moments, not to mention it’s a lot of fun.
Get a slice of the historical, the bone-chilling and the paranormal through Discovery Parks - Coogee Beach and enjoy everything Fremantle has to offer.
