Welcome to Walyalup Koort!

Everyone is invited to a special event to celebrate the opening of Fremantle’s revitalised civic heart – Walyalup Koort.

The Walyalup Koort Community Open Day – now on Sunday 12 December – is the opportunity for people to come along and check out the new Walyalup Civic Centre, including the stunning new Fremantle Library, modern customer service centre and impressive council chamber.

The Open Day will include a host of free activities and entertainment, and will now coincide with the FOMO Alley Eats opening celebrations.

Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said the public response to the Walyalup Civic Centre, library and new Walyalup Koort playground had been overwhelmingly positive.

“The primary aim of the redevelopment of Walyalup Koort was to transform the heart of the city into a safer, more welcoming and vibrant space,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

“The Walyalup Civic Centre has been brilliantly designed by Fremantle’s own Kerry Hill Architects.

“It’s a building that everyone in Fremantle can be very proud of. It’s so light and spacious inside, and it complements the historic Fremantle Town Hall beautifully.

“Everyone is invited to come along on Sunday 12 December to check out what’s on offer and see how Fremantle’s heart is pumping again.”

The Walyalup Koort Community Open Day will start at 2pm with a traditional Welcome to Country by Nyoongar Elders and the first lighting of a new ceremonial fire vessel commissioned for the occasion with artists Simon Gilby and Sharyn Egan.

It will be followed by performances from the Walyalup Kannajil Community Choir and Madjitil Moorna Choir, who will be performing the Acknowledgement Song, Wanjoo My Friend, Nidja Noongar Boodjar Koort with support from children from local schools, and Fremantle musicians Jack Davies and Lucy Peach.

From 2–5pm there will be activities in the new Fremantle Library including drop-in art and craft classes, LEGO making, video games in the gaming zone, the interactive map in the history centre and demonstrations of interactive VR technology and 3D printing.

There will also be a Kids Adventure Scavenger Hunt through the library and Walyalup Koort playground, free children’s activities with Buster and loads of prizes and giveaways.

The Community Open Day is just one of the many events being held in Walyalup Koort right through summer. For more details go to visitfremantle.com.au/walyalupkoort

The $270 million renewal of Fremantle’s civic heart has been undertaken by the City of Fremantle in partnership with Sirona.

Along with the Walyalup Civic Centre, the City of Fremantle is also rejuvenating the public spaces around Walyalup Koort, including the new Fremantle-themed adventure playground featuring cranes, bridges, train tracks and shipping containers as well as natural elements like water and trees.

Sirona’s contribution to the project included the redevelopment of the old Myer and Queensgate sites. More than 1,800 state government workers have already moved in and the FOMO food, art, amusement and retail precinct is about to burst into life.

For more information please visit walyalupkoort.com.