Bathers Beach, also known as Whalers Beach, is a section of coastline that has a written history since the European settlement of what is now called Fremantle, Western Australia.
Tall ships off Fremantle Jetty with Bathers Beach in the foreground in 1870.
In the 1890s it was bounded to the south by the Long and Short jetties.
The jetties and baths prior to the first world war
In the 1930s and 1940s it was called City Beach.[1][2]
The water offshore has also been called Bathers Bay.[3] It is the shore below the Round House and is located just south of Arthur Head, at the entrance to Fremantle Harbour with the South Mole starting at its northern side.
Historyedit
On 4 September 1829 Marquis of Anglesea dragged her anchors and was wrecked on Bathers Beach during a gale. A rocky promontory, which defined the southern end of the beach (now hidden beneath reclaimed land) and from which the Fremantle Long Jetty extended, was subsequently named "Anglesea Point".[4]
Daniel Scott, who was the local harbour master, businessman and chair of the town council, made substantial investment in the Fremantle Whaling Company in 1837. An impressive investment was made when the company created a 57-metre-long (187 ft) tunnel that linked the beach to the High Street, allowing easy access for transporting heavy equipment or products. The tunnel was built underneath the substantial Round House without damage. It was dug in five months and completed in January 1838. This rapid progress was possible because prisoners from the Round House were used, the rock was capable of being mined with a pick axe, and the work was overseen by Henry Willey Reveley. Today the tunnel is only 45 metres (148 ft) long as the cliffs were cut back some time after 1880.[5]
There were two local whaling companies started in 1836 but the Fremantle Whaling Company was based here. This company, which included investors in Liverpool, had mixed fortunes as the market collapsed in 1840. However the company did build a whaling station at Bathers Beach. The station included the tunnel and a number of buildings and a jetty where whales could be processed.[5] Scott rented this station in the 1840s and he also operated a number of whaling ships including Napoleon and Merope. The whaling business does not appear to have been driven hard and Scott sold up his whaling boats and equipment in 1850. The Fremantle Whaling Company also ceased to operate that year.[6] (Scott's new task was accommodating convicts that year.)[7]
Due to the range of activities since the 1820s, including whaling, the area adjacent to the beach has attracted archaeological interest.[8]
Referencesedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bathers Beach, Fremantle.
^"SWIMMING". The West Australian. Vol. 52, no. 15, 699. Western Australia. 19 October 1936. p. 6. Retrieved 13 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"FREMANTLE CLUB". The West Australian. Vol. 54, no. 16, 128. Western Australia. 8 March 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 13 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^Randall, Nuala (1987), "Western Australia's shore based whaling heritage", Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, 11 (2): 33–36, retrieved 9 November 2012
^ abMcIlroy, Jack (1986). (PDF). Australian Historical Archaeology. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
^Gibbs, Martin (2010). The shore whalers of Western Australia : historical archaeology of a maritime frontier. University of Sydney, N.S.W.: Sydney University Press. pp. 15, 22, 42, 127. ISBN978-1920899622.
^Behind Bars 20 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Jen Hamilton, Construction in Focus, accessed August 2013
^McIlroy, Jack; Fremantle (W.A. : Municipality). Council; Heritage Council of Western Australia; Campbell, Rob McK; Andrews, Bill (1990), Arthur Head stage three : the excavation and conservation of a 19th century retaining wall at Bathers Beach, Fremantle, Western Australia, Distributed by Heritage Council of W.A, retrieved 9 November 2012
bathers, beach, fremantle, bathers, beach, also, known, whalers, beach, section, coastline, that, written, history, since, european, settlement, what, called, fremantle, western, australia, tall, ships, fremantle, jetty, with, bathers, beach, foreground, 1870,. Bathers Beach also known as Whalers Beach is a section of coastline that has a written history since the European settlement of what is now called Fremantle Western Australia Tall ships off Fremantle Jetty with Bathers Beach in the foreground in 1870 In the 1890s it was bounded to the south by the Long and Short jetties The jetties and baths prior to the first world warIn the 1930s and 1940s it was called City Beach 1 2 The water offshore has also been called Bathers Bay 3 It is the shore below the Round House and is located just south of Arthur Head at the entrance to Fremantle Harbour with the South Mole starting at its northern side History editOn 4 September 1829 Marquis of Anglesea dragged her anchors and was wrecked on Bathers Beach during a gale A rocky promontory which defined the southern end of the beach now hidden beneath reclaimed land and from which the Fremantle Long Jetty extended was subsequently named Anglesea Point 4 Daniel Scott who was the local harbour master businessman and chair of the town council made substantial investment in the Fremantle Whaling Company in 1837 An impressive investment was made when the company created a 57 metre long 187 ft tunnel that linked the beach to the High Street allowing easy access for transporting heavy equipment or products The tunnel was built underneath the substantial Round House without damage It was dug in five months and completed in January 1838 This rapid progress was possible because prisoners from the Round House were used the rock was capable of being mined with a pick axe and the work was overseen by Henry Willey Reveley Today the tunnel is only 45 metres 148 ft long as the cliffs were cut back some time after 1880 5 There were two local whaling companies started in 1836 but the Fremantle Whaling Company was based here This company which included investors in Liverpool had mixed fortunes as the market collapsed in 1840 However the company did build a whaling station at Bathers Beach The station included the tunnel and a number of buildings and a jetty where whales could be processed 5 Scott rented this station in the 1840s and he also operated a number of whaling ships including Napoleon and Merope The whaling business does not appear to have been driven hard and Scott sold up his whaling boats and equipment in 1850 The Fremantle Whaling Company also ceased to operate that year 6 Scott s new task was accommodating convicts that year 7 Due to the range of activities since the 1820s including whaling the area adjacent to the beach has attracted archaeological interest 8 nbsp References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bathers Beach Fremantle SWIMMING The West Australian Vol 52 no 15 699 Western Australia 19 October 1936 p 6 Retrieved 13 August 2020 via National Library of Australia FREMANTLE CLUB The West Australian Vol 54 no 16 128 Western Australia 8 March 1938 p 11 Retrieved 13 August 2020 via National Library of Australia Randall Nuala 1987 Western Australia s shore based whaling heritage Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology 11 2 33 36 retrieved 9 November 2012 Anglesea Point 1902 retrieved 27 July 2022 a b McIlroy Jack 1986 Bathers Bay Whaling Station Fremantle Western Australia PDF Australian Historical Archaeology 4 Archived from the original PDF on 3 July 2022 Retrieved 23 August 2013 Gibbs Martin 2010 The shore whalers of Western Australia historical archaeology of a maritime frontier University of Sydney N S W Sydney University Press pp 15 22 42 127 ISBN 978 1920899622 Behind Bars Archived 20 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Jen Hamilton Construction in Focus accessed August 2013 McIlroy Jack Fremantle W A Municipality Council Heritage Council of Western Australia Campbell Rob McK Andrews Bill 1990 Arthur Head stage three the excavation and conservation of a 19th century retaining wall at Bathers Beach Fremantle Western Australia Distributed by Heritage Council of W A retrieved 9 November 2012 32 03 31 S 115 44 30 E 32 0585 S 115 7418 E 32 0585 115 7418 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bathers Beach Fremantle amp oldid 1177593034, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
