2024 Year in Review

It’s been a big year for the City of Fremantle (yes, we say that every year!). Let’s take a look back at some of our biggest news and commemorations.

January Launched North Fremantle Heritage Trail project

The City began with a series of activities to increase awareness of the trail and gather community input on the historical information to be included on new trail markers. The trail signage was last updated in 2004. The $40,000 project is a partnership between the City of Fremantle and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries via their Trail Planning Grants Program.

Awarded new Citizens of the Year

Christian Mauri, who runs 'Politics in the Pub' events and the Fremantle Chess Club and Sarah Booth, a passionate advocate for the creative use of underused spaces in Fremantle were jointly presented with the Fremantle Citizen of the Year honour. Fremantle's most prolific blogger, Roel Loopers, was awarded Senior Citizen of the Year. The Active Citizenship Award went to Friends of Clontarf Hill which has been maintaining and enhancing the conservation values of a remnant tuart woodland for more than 25 years. Kate Raston received the Young Citizen of the Year Award for her work as the co-founder of We Are Womxn.

February The City adopts the Youth strategy

The Strategy was developed in consultation with the Youth Affairs Council of WA and involved workshops with 12 locally operating youth organisations including PCYC, Headspace and Palmerston. It also involved a survey of 237 young people, asking about the benefits and challenges of living in the area, barriers to participation and issues that are important to them.

The Containers for Change collection points hits 20 million containers

Thanks to the local community’s recycling efforts, a massive two million dollars has been refunded to individuals, businesses, charities, schools and sporting clubs.

Samson Park receives new signage

A sign depicting and describing the Nyoongar six seasons was unveiled Samson Park. The City collaborated with Nyoongar Elder Freda Ogilvie and Aboriginal consultant Marissa Verma who crafted a workshop where stories were shared including how each of the Nyoongar six seasons (Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba, and Kambarang) affects the flora and fauna found within the park.

A new playground opens at Leighton beach

The Little Art Play Place, created by Landscape Australia Construction and Scape-ism, features a 2.7metre-long dolphin riding on the crest of a climbable wave.

March Community consultation on the Freo Oval masterplan begins

The masterplan provides a vision for the redevelopment of the precinct, establish principles for its ongoing management and operation, and assist the City in attracting funding from State and Federal Governments.

Leighton Beach gets new virtual lifesaver warning and safety messaging system

The technology gives beachgoers quicker access to information like shark detections, beach closures and unsafe conditions.

The City launches its Truth Telling program at Manjaree | Bathers Beach

The crowd heard from local Elders, guest speakers, joined weaving circles, went on cultural tours and shared their thoughts on how they'd like to learn about the truth of our shared history. Other highlights included a smoking ceremony and a seaweed etching of the word TRUTH in the sand.

April Contracts are awarded for construction of a new South Beach change facility

ICS Australia, a local construction company, delivered the Fremantle Leisure Centre's roof replacement project in 2022.

Fremantle hosts its annual ANZAC Day commemorations The new Fremantle History Centre opens

Nine hundred boxes of photographs, reports, oral histories, maps and books have been brought out of storage and are now housed in the room on the ground floor of the Walyalup Civic Centre. The fit out included new shelving, research desks, a scanning and copying station and display areas. The Centre operates on a request basis, with customers able to submit their enquiries in person or via an online form.

May The Freo Builds school competition opens

This year's theme was Fantasy Fremantle. We encouraged primary school students to dive into the realm of fantasy and draw their most fantastic vision of iconic Fremantle destinations.

The Walyalup Aboriginal Cultural Centre celebrates its tenth anniversary

The event included guest speakers, face painting, a performance by the Mayakeniny Dance Group, art markets, an exhibition of Now & Then photos and a cultural walking tour. With its opening in 2014, Fremantle became the first local government in Western Australia to establish a dedicated Aboriginal Cultural Centre.

The City launches a new Arts and Culture Strategy

The strategy seeks to reinforce a First Nations first approach to inform all work; prioritise brave and risk-taking artistic practice; foster partnerships on an annual calendar of homegrown and independent events; and improve the City's own cultural infrastructure and advocate for new.

Freo acknowledges the execution of Nyoongar leader Midgegooroo by lowering flags to half-mast

At the time of settlement, Midgegooroo was the leader of the Whadjuk clan that occupied and cared for Beeliar, which included greater Fremantle. He was executed by firing squad without trial for allegedly having killed settlers in retaliation for the killing of an Aboriginal man who was accused of stealing potatoes and a fowl.

The City mourns former Mayor Richard Utting

Richard served as Mayor of Fremantle from 1997 to 2001. He came to Fremantle Council in his early 50s, after a distinguished career as a high-profile Barrister and ABC radio host. As a Mayoral candidate, he offered a ‘strong new voice for Fremantle’, promised to put people first and provide more transparency.

Council adopts Strategic Community Plan, setting a new vision for 2024-34

Our five key themes include: A liveable city that is vibrant, socially connected and desirable; A thriving city with a prosperous and innovative economy; A creative city that is inspiring, diverse and dares to be different; A resilient city that plans for the future and is empowered to take action; and An inclusive city that welcomes, celebrates and cares for all people, cultures and abilities.

June Council adopts a new waste management model

The City has been working with other member Councils to undertake a review of the Regional Resource Recovery Centre (RRRC) site in Canning Vale and assessing opportunities for a new and more cost-effective service model.

A new EV charger is installed at Parry Street carpark

The 7.4 kilowatt charging point is located in the Parry Street car park, corner of Parry and Holdsworth streets.

The City awards $75,000 in grants to community, youth and arts projects and organisations

Eleven projects received financial support to assist with programs and activities that make a positive contribution to the community.

Community consultation on the City Plan opens

The City Plan aims to bring together different ideas and strategies into a clear, visual and spatial blueprint to establish a vision for the way forward

The City unveils a new THIS IS FREMANTLE brand campaign

It showcases Fremantle's rich heritage, vibrant arts scene, culinary delights and stunning coastal landscapes. It also celebrates the city's diversity, its welcoming community and the endless experiences that await visitors.

July The popular EasyPark app comes to Fremantle

EasyPark is used by more than 70 Councils and parking operators across Australia and a dozen local governments in Perth. Half a million people in the greater Perth metropolitan region already have the EasyPark app installed on their smartphone, which is about one in four people.

Council adopts a balanced budget focused on renewal

Prioritising asset renewal, absorbing rising costs and delivering projects and services to benefit everyone in the community were the key themes of the City of Fremantle’s 2024-25 budget.

Works to demolish the Parry Street footbridge near the Passenger Terminal begin

The Parry Street footbridge had been closed since mid-2022 after structural assessments determined that the bridge was unsafe for use.

Fremantle becomes an ‘Owl Friendly City’

As an Owl Friendly City, we’re encouraging our community to give a hoot and consider owl-friendly rodent control. You can help keep our local owl populations safe by avoiding SGARs and practising bird-friendly rodent control at home.

August Cr Doug Thompson, Fremantle’s longest-serving councillor, receives WALGA Life Membership

The award recognises outstanding service to the WALGA and/or Local Government sector and distinguished contributions to the community over a significant period of time. Cr Thompson joined Fremantle Council in 1988 and has been consistently re-elected in the City’s North Ward ever since.

The community names the City’s new street sweeper ‘Meryl Sweep’

Did you know at 3am our fleet of street sweepers, a steamer truck and a water truck hit the roads to hose down and sweep the entire city centre each week. High-traffic areas like the Cappuccino Strip are cleaned every morning!

Fremantle hosts the annual ‘10 Nights in Port’ festival

The festival celebrates the people of Fremantle. It invites audiences to brave the outdoors in the height of winter and explore new perspectives.

The City receives a Lotterywest grant of almost $950,000 for a powerful contemporary artwork in Walyalup Koort called Kaarl Boyak Naariny (Fire is Burning on the Rocks)

The artwork by local artists Sharyn Egan and Simon Gilby respects and recognises the entire Nyoongar Nation and creates a Nyoongar sense of place in Walyalup Koort, the civic heart of Walyalup/Fremantle.

Council adopts the new Walyalup Reconciliation Action Plan

The new Walyalup Reconciliation Action Plan (WRAP) includes for the first time, a section on truth-telling. It also focuses on relationships, respect, opportunities and governance and contains 17 actions and 95 deliverable outcomes to be achieved over the next three years.

September The City mourns popular former councillor, Rob Fittock

Rob served as a North Ward Councillor from 2007 to 2015. He was involved in many community endeavours including the Fremantle RSL and North Freo Bowlo. He was a North Fremantle identity and will be remembered fondly.

Contractors working on the Town Hall balcony uncover a treasure trove of artefacts under the floor, some more than 100 years old

The treasure trove includes show programs, show tickets, offcuts from projector reels, cigarette packets, bottle tops, chocolate wrappers and tram tickets from the early 1900s. The workers, specialised in heritage restorations, immediately handed the collection over to the team at the Local History Centre who set about researching and preserving the items.

The AFL Masters carnival, Australia’s largest mass-participation football event in WA history, kicks off in Freo

More than 1,400 players from all States and Territories will be playing in the 41st AFL Masters National Carnival – the youngest player at 35, and the eldest a spritely 82 years’ young.

October Council adopts the Hilton Park Masterplan, which has received widespread community support

Improvements abound and some examples include new buildings, new play spaces, a wider range of bookable spaces for recreation and year-round use, public toilets, field reconfigurations, lighting, footpaths and trees.

The City removes a number of trees infested with the Polyphagous Shothole Borer

The removal of these affected trees was a necessary step to prevent the spread of PSHB and protect the health of our natural surroundings. The 16 trees tested positive for PSHB in March to May this year.

The City receives a Lotterywest $145,000 grant for its festival program

The Lotterywest funding will be used across the City's major annual festivals to deepen creative programs and enhance community participation. It will focus on enhancing projects that amplify marginal voices, providing artists and performers the opportunity to cultivate their skill in safe spaces, and enabling audiences to access diverse and shared experiences.

November The City hosts the first-ever Freo Pride Fest with more than 7,000 visitors attending

In collaboration with headspace Fremantle and with support from the Department of Communities & Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia, everyone was invited to a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community in Fremantle. Freo Pride Fest was a free and inclusive event, primarily for young people (12-25), but open to all ages. It hosted dozens of market stalls, live music, creative workshops and other activities.

The Walyalup Reconciliation Action Plan officially launched

Aboriginal Elders and other community members have been thanked for their work to develop the City of Fremantle's new Walyalup Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-2027. The City's working group was presented with copies of the RAP and a gift of appreciation by Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge at Walyalup Fremantle Arts Centre.

The Fremantle Oval Masterplan receives unanimous support from councillors, setting an ambitious vision for the redevelopment of the precinct

The Masterplan provides a vision for the historic venue, and would deliver better football facilities, a more enjoyable spectator experience, more opportunities for community access and the potential for affordable housing, while still retaining its charm with the refurbishment of Victoria Pavilion.

December The Federal Government provides $3.75 million to revitalise Hilton Park

The funding will go towards stage one of renewal works in the northern part of the Hilton Park precinct, which represents about a third of the 19-hectare site in Beaconsfield.

The City adopts the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower initiative to show support and acceptance for people with hidden disabilities

The initiative provides a simple yet powerful way to foster understanding and create an environment where people with non-visible disabilities can feel seen, heard, and supported.

Council approves a 40km/h trial for the suburb of Hilton

City officers were asked to explore opportunities for speed reduction in July this year when Council adopted two policies relating to traffic calming and safe streets. Community engagement on these policies revealed that traffic calming devices and speed reduction were their highest priorities for safer roads.

New shade sails are installed at Griffiths Park playgrounds

Four brightly coloured shade sails will provide 174sqm of shaded protection for our youngest residents over the summer months.

‘Cranedeers’ spread festive joy as the City celebrates ‘A Very Freo Christmas’