Fremantle Markets

The Fremantle Markets occupy a limestone hall on the corner of South Terrace, begun in 1897 and built in 1898-1902, and after decades of decline and a closure they reopened in 1975 and have traded since, now on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Inside are around a hundred and fifty stalls: fresh produce and fish in the original hall, crafts, clothing, records and food in the newer sections, with buskers at the doors. The building is heritage-listed and the market sits at the centre of Fremantle's West End, one of the best-preserved nineteenth-century port streetscapes in Australia, with the Round House of 1831, the convict-built prison and the maritime museum all within walking distance.

History

Designed in the Federation Romanesque style by Joseph Herbert Eales and Charles Oldham, the market had its foundation stone laid by Premier John Forrest on 6 November 1897 and was built between 1898 and 1902 for £8,268, with walls of rough washed limestone and a high iron roof on jarrah columns. It was a wholesale food and produce market until the 1950s, then a packing and distribution centre until the early 1970s, and after standing empty it was restored by Fremantle City Council and reopened on 31 October 1975 with permanent retail stalls (Wikipedia, Fremantle Markets).

What's there

• The market hall - the original limestone building of 1898-1902.
• The produce section - fruit, vegetables and fish in the old hall.
• The buskers - performers at the entrances through market days.
• The West End - the preserved port streetscape around the market.

When to go

Fridays to Sundays, when the market trades; it is closed the rest of the week. Saturday is busiest. Mornings have the best produce, afternoons the fuller crowd. Year-round, since it is indoors.

Before you go

It only opens three days a week, which catches visitors out. Weekends are crowded and the aisles narrow. Prices for craft goods are tourist-oriented, and parking in Fremantle on market days is difficult.

Nearby

Fremantle Prison and the Round House are a short walk; the ferry to Rottnest leaves nearby.

Key facts