Fremantle Prison

In 1850, the first of almost 10000 male convicts arrived as a labour force to help build the Swan River Colony. Their first project was to build their own home - the Convict Establishment - later renamed Fremantle Prison. Fremantle Prison is the largest convict built structure in WA and the most intact convict establishment in the southern hemisphere. By the end of the convict system, only 62 convicts remained inside the prison, built to hold 1000 men. Fremantle Prison was handed over to local authorities and, upon the closure of Perth Gaol in 1888, became the State’s primary place of confinement for men, women and children. Decommissioned as an operating maximum security gaol from 1887 to 1991, Fremantle Prison operated continuously as a place of incarceration and punishment for 136 years. In 2010, Fremantle Prison became the first building in WA to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of eleven sites that together form the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property.