Round House Precinct, Fremantle

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The Round House Precinct in Fremantle is where the "Swan River Colony" was established as a British colony for free settlers in 1829. Convicts did not arrive until 1850. Nevertheless, the first permanent building was a goal. Early 1830 Henry Willey Reveley, the colony's civil engineer, was instructed to prepare drawings for it.

The site chosen for this goal was a headland which overlooked the river mouth and had uninterrupted views of Cockburn Sound. This was also an obvious place to establish navigation lights and a signalling station.

The role of the headland for law enforcement was strengthened in 1835 when a courthouse was built on the south side of the Round House. Stocks were installed in the 1840's and in 1844 John Gavin, as fifteen year old convicted murderer, was hanged nearby. Apart from the Round House and the courthouse other buildings on Arthur Head included cottages to house the harbour-master, pilots and lighthouse keepers, and two lighthouses.

Bay whaling was carried out from Bather's Beach below the Round House. As part of the whaling operations a tunnel was constructed under the Round House to give easy access from the beach to the town. A look-out would alert boat crews after sighting a whale and the chase would be on. Captured whales would be towed back to the beach and processed.

Aborigines were held in the Round House for short periods of time before being sent to the Rottnest Native Penal Establishment, founded in 1840. The first convicts arrived in 1850 to boost the colony's labour force. The Round House was inadequate to house them so one of the convicts' first task was to build another prison. This new complex was completed in the mid-1850's and was used as Fremantle Prison until 1991. The Round House continued to be used as a goal for short term prisoners and as lock-up for ticket-of-leave men who broke curfew.

In 1886 the Convict Establishment in Fremantle was handed over to the Colonial Government. Fremantle Prison then became part of the local penal system. The Round House having lost its role as a prison became the responsibility of the police who used it as a lock-up until 1900. It then became living quarters for a chief constable, his wife and ten children.

The headland was always in demand by port authorities and for defences, due to its prominent position and its proximity to the port. The first gun battery was built on the headland north west of the Round House was completed in 1908. The battery existed until 1942 when the guns were moved north of Fremantle to Leighton. Part of a gun enplacement can be seen in the shallows at the northern end of Bather's Beach.

The Fremantle City Council became responsible for the Round House in 1982 when the headland was vested in the City. The building was opened to the public soon afterwards.