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Fremantle, the port
city for Perth, is situated at the mouth of the Swan
River, named for the black swans found there. A small,
charming city of about 28,000, it is easily accessible
from the port and cruise terminal. Nice beaches extend
to the north and south. Cultural relief is to be found
here since they speak a dialect of English called
Australian.
The locals boast that they speak a purer form of English
here in Western Australia (WA) than any other place in
Australia or New Zealand.
Australia and New
Zealand, like England and Canada, sacrificed a large
portion of their population in the wars of the last
century. Hence, Monument Hill in Fremantle, with the
many memorials to the losses in the various regiments
formed here. The loss of a ship or the decimation of a
regiment in battle has a greater impact in the countries
of the Commonwealth since ship’s crews and regiments are
generally formed from a single town or city. Monument
Hill includes a monument denoting the presence of a
large American submarine base here, kept secret from the
Japanese for the entire war.
Fremantle itself is a
tidy little town whose charming streets are lined with
quaint terrace houses, historic buildings and sidewalk
cafés.
Perth at about the
same latitude south as San Diego is north shares the
same weather and beautiful waterfront. |
