Fishing Boat Harbour - Now A Heritage Place

Fishing Boat Harbour in Fremantle has been recognised for its cultural heritage significance with its inclusion today on the State Register of Heritage Places.

First established in 1924, Fishing Boat Harbour has long been at the centre of the State’s fishing industry. It is closely associated with the waves of post-war migration that shaped Fremantle, particularly families from southern Europe who built livelihoods on the water and helped define the harbour’s character.

While it remains a working harbour, it has also become a well-known visitor destination, valued not just for its economic role but for its strong connections to community life and shared history.

The State Register of Heritage Places is the official list of 1,397 places recognised for their cultural heritage significance in Western Australia. Maintained by the Heritage Council of Western Australia, the Register includes places that reflect our State’s development, communities and stories over time.

Fishing Boat Harbour’s inclusion recognises both its physical fabric and its social significance, ensuring its history is acknowledged and considered into the future.

Heritage Minister Simone McGurk, who announced the listing at Fishing Boat Harbour today, noted that –

“Our heritage places tell the story of who we are as Western Australians, from the world’s oldest continuing culture to the many communities who have shaped our State” and added that the listing “recognises the generations of people who built the fishing industry here and the migrant communities who helped shape Fremantle.”

Western Australia’s rich and diverse history is also being celebrated with the unveiling of a new heritage plaque design that recognises both the State’s ancient Aboriginal heritage and its shared stories of settlement, industry and community.

The distinctive blue heritage plaques align with internationally recognised heritage markers used across Australia and around the world.

The new design has been created specifically to acknowledge Aboriginal cultural heritage, including the naming of the traditional lands on which each place is located.

Designed by highly respected Aboriginal artist Dr Richard Walley, the plaque at Fishing Boat Harbour incorporates Aboriginal motifs that reflect connection to Country, culture and enduring history.

Here are Simone McGurk and Richard Walley admiring the Fishing Boat Harbour plaque today.

Each plaque includes a QR code, allowing visitors to access historical information, images and stories about the place, and discover related heritage sites nearby.

Three additional plaques have been installed at Fremantle Prison, the Round House and Fremantle Markets and will be rolled out progressively at other heritage sites across Western Australia.

Heritage Council of WA Chair Darren Foster drew attention to the plaques and said that the “new plaques represent an important evolution of the heritage plaques program, recognising Aboriginal tradition as fundamental to understanding Western Australia’s places” and that “The Heritage Council looks forward to seeing the new design rolled out across the State, enriching the way people experience and value Western Australia’s heritage.”

For more information about Fishing Boat Harbour heritage listing look here and for more information about the plaque program click here.

By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

~ If you’d like to COMMENT on this or any of our stories, don’t hesitate to email our Editor.

~ WHILE YOU’RE HERE –