https://www.instagram.com/heraldandvoice/, http://www.fremantleherald.com/

Fremantle Herald Official, Fremantle (2026)

04/06/2026

It's one of the biggest community success stories in recent years—the North Freo Bowlo.

The circa 1957 bowling club had fallen into a state of disrepair, so in late 2023 a group of locals banded together and signed a 10-year lease for the council-owned building.

With the help of Freo council and a motley crew of volunteers, including dozens of tradies, the club was refurbished and is now thriving again with about 500 members.

There’s been casual Friday and Sunday bowling since the club re-opened, but this year was a game changer.

“In the past twelve months we’ve significantly improved the quality of our heritage green and re-introduced social lawn bowls tournaments for the first time in at least five years,” says Julia Jones, co-chair of North Freo Bowlo.

“We’ve continued to host a wide variety of arts, culture and music events and are hosting regular food trucks.

“We’ve also improved our outdoor seating and shade, plus we’ve added beer taps with local craft beer and we continue to work on restoring our kitchen to its full capacity.”

In the space of three years, the Bowlo has transcended its bowling club roots and become a multi-purpose community hub, offering everything from live music and art classes to yoga and comedy nights.

A sign of how far the Bowlo has come, in 2025 it was asked to become one of the main venues for the winter music festival Hidden Treasures.

This year’s festival kicks off on June 11.

Read full story at https://tinyurl.com/y5kubkyy.

03/06/2026

John Dowson is the president of the Fremantle Society. He’s previously flagged that the congregation at St John’s Church is not thrilled with plans to install an Indigenous-themed artwork on what’s now Walyalup Koort – but remains church-owned land. After church leaders flagged their concerns at a recent council meeting (“New snag for Koort artwork,” Herald, May 16), he adds his thoughts.

"Last year the Fremantle Society successfully took legal action against Fremantle mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge after defamatory comments she made against us at a reconciliation conference.

We had simply asked for a balanced approach by council to the 2029 Bicentenary.

Fremantle council it would seem is still pursuing a divisive reconciliation policy, with its proposal to deliberately put $1.4 million worth of large rocks for an Aboriginal artwork encroaching on church land and on top of a listed heritage site, the site of the former St John’s Church clearly outlined in the paving.

The confronting project is one culture building on top of another culture, and cannot be allowed to happen.

The church and the Fremantle Society support Aboriginal art, but not in this location.

Reconciliation and preparation for the 2029 Bicentenary, (which council and the state government refuse to engage the community on), should aim to bring people together, not divide them.

Council has already divided the community when a council committee led by Ms Fitzhardinge changed the name of King’s Square to Walyalup, the name for an extinct deceased kangaroo-rat that used to inhabit a wide area north and south of the river.

At the very least there should have been dual naming, and the Fremantle Society seeks that."

Read full story at https://tinyurl.com/3ynp7rh9.

02/06/2026

The City of Fremantle will take over management of the financially troubled Fremantle Park Sport and Community Centre in a bid to prevent the facility collapsing under ongoing losses and governance problems.

Councillors voted to assume operational control of the centre after a two-year caretaker arrangement, with Fremantle mayor Ben Lawver saying the current arrangement was no longer sustainable.

“So, just in layman’s terms, the building when it was conceived and built, was to have the tennis club, the bowling club, and the workers club, share all the spaces and live in harmony together,” Mr Lawver said.

“The on the ground reality is that didn’t really work, and the city has put in over a half a million dollars to keep those three clubs operational in the past couple years.

“We’re happy to support our clubs, but that’s just not sustainable. There’s a lot of clubs in Fremantle that would love to get that kind of support.”

As previously reported by the Herald, an independent review warned the centre’s financial trajectory was unsustainable, with the Fremantle Park Sport and Community Centre Inc recording a $128,000 deficit in 2024 and facing potential insolvency within one to two years if reforms were not made.

The report also identified fragmented governance, declining membership and volunteer participation, poor marketing, inconsistent food service and physical design problems within the building.

Among the issues cited were the lack of a ground-floor kitchen, function spaces with limited capacity, and restrictions caused by the venue’s sound limiter.

Read full story at https://tinyurl.com/3hsmhrpp.

30/05/2026

The long-running push to redevelop the former Leeuwin Barracks site in East Fremantle is heading into a new phase, with Defence scheduling a public community information session next month.

The federal government confirmed this week it would hold a session at Victoria Hall on June 10 to discuss the proposed divestment of the 14.3-hectare Riverside Road site and outline the next steps in the process.

Federal Fremantle MP Josh Wilson said the session would give residents an early opportunity to help shape the future of the prominent riverfront site.

“I encourage the community to take this early opportunity to hear about the redevelopment of the Leeuwin Barracks in East Freo and to share their views,” Mr Wilson said.

The barracks was established in 1941 as HMAS Leeuwin, serving as a naval depot during World War II before later transferring to the Australian Army.

The site was declared surplus to Defence requirements in 2014, although plans to sell the land were paused in 2021.

Leeuwin Barracks currently accommodates office space, logistics operations, Army Reserve activities and cadet training.

Defence said personnel based at the site would relocate to Palmer Barracks, while cadets would move either to Palmer Barracks or a new leased community or school facility elsewhere in the region.

Mr Wilson said previous community consultation undertaken when the site’s release was first proposed would help guide future planning.

Read full story at https://tinyurl.com/3hsmhrpp.

29/05/2026

Fremantle mayor Ben Lawver wants to win both the Fremantle Dockers women’s and men’s teams back to Fremantle, while acknowledging Fremantle Oval’s deterioration prompted the AFLW side’s decision to move all home games to Cockburn.

The Dockers announced this week the club would play at Cockburn ARC Oval from its 2026 season opener in August.

Mr Lawver said he was disappointed by the move but understood some of the reasons behind it.

“I’m also disappointed that Freo fans, in our community, won’t be able to attend games at their spiritual home – their natural home ground.”

Mr Lawver said Fremantle Oval’s condition was “one of the factors” behind the relocation.

“Right now we have a business case for that oval redevelopment, we’re aligning that with the state government requirements as well, and then we hope to get that submitted soon,” he said.

“If that business case gets accepted, then hopefully that will come with funding, and then we can get on with doing the oval, and then maybe not just the women, I’d like to see the men come back as well.”

The Dockers said the move formed part of the club’s redevelopment masterplan for Cockburn ARC Oval.

Fremantle chief executive Simon Garlick said the club needed to continue investing in the women’s program “from a high-performance perspective”.

Read full story at https://tinyurl.com/5n8nfeb2.

28/05/2026

Forget the idea that ageing means slowing down.

In an exhibition at South Fremantle Continental Cafe until June 3, a group of senior artists prove that creativity doesn’t fade with age, it evolves.

The exhibition is organised by UnYoung Chronicles, a community- based initiative that challenges common stereotypes around ageing through creative expression.

“The purpose of the exhibition is to tell or to show younger people that when you’re over 60, there is still a good standard of life left,” photographer Tim Grant said.

Older Australians can often be portrayed as frail, a burden to society and incapable of learning new things.

However, many retirees continue to live creative and active lives, with artists involved in the exhibition reflecting that shift.

Grant, fellow photographer Kaaren Malcom and author Annie de Monchaux are using their work to challenge outdated perceptions of ageing and promote the idea of positive ageing as a time for connection, contribution and personal growth.

Read full story at https://tinyurl.com/4k5csn9e.

27/05/2026

Ethan Clements is a 15-year-old writer from Fremantle – and a former Surf Life Saving Nipper. He’s uncomfortable about kids promoting a fossil-fuel company every time they dive in to learn how to save lives.

"Every Sunday morning in Western Australia, just under 8500 children flood our beaches for our community-led surf-lifesaving program.

It’s a tradition that has run on our shorelines for over 40 years.

Decked out in their signature neon-yellow bathing suits, goggles in hand, and SPF 50 slipped, slopped and slapped head-to-toe. What if I told you this isn’t as innocent as it looks, and that it has already reached Fremantle.

The program formerly named ‘The Nippers’ has gone through a rebrand through a naming rights deal.

They are now known as the ‘Woodside Nippers’, after Woodside purchased their naming rights in 2019 under a multi-year partnership.

Woodside is Australia’s largest independent oil and gas company and has faced criticism as a key contributor to Australia’s climate crisis, damaging native Aboriginal rock art, and ‘greenwashing’ its reputation.

In Australia, coastal-related injuries remain a growing concern, especially to parents, community members, and the added pressure on lifeguards.

According to Surf Life Saving Australia’s 2025/26 Summer Coastal Drowning Report, there is approximately one coastal drowning death every two days during summer.

This reinforces the need for surf-lifesaving to be taught, especially for children.

However, many parents are uncomfortable with Woodside’s contribution and they don’t have anywhere else to go.

There is practically no other competition in WA, leaving them stranded with few alternatives.

Woodside’s sponsorship, which was announced in 2019, is valued at $5 million over the coming five years.

These funds can be used for Woodside-branded uniforms, trailers and patrol equipment used along the oceanfront."

Read full article at https://tinyurl.com/488tex7n.

26/05/2026

The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of WA is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025 with a brand-new production of the much-loved comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance at the Dolphin Theatre in Crawley this June.

Founded in 1951, the Society has spent 75 years entertaining Western Australian audiences with the timeless works of Gilbert and Sullivan. To mark the milestone, the Society is bringing one of its most popular and entertaining productions back to the stage in a celebration of music, comedy, and live theatre.

Packed with pirates, romance, mistaken identities, and iconic songs including “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General,” The Pirates of Penzance remains one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most enduring works. The fast-paced operetta follows Frederic, a young pirate apprentice attempting to leave piracy behind, only to find himself caught between love, duty, and a series of hilarious misunderstandings.

Directed by Kevin Langoulant, with musical direction by Ian Westrip OAM and choreography by Hamish Scott, the production features a live orchestra and a talented local cast including Sam Claxton as the Pirate King, Jacob Correia as Frederic, Justin Freind as the Major-General, Magda Lisek as Mabel, Lincoln Matrozis as Samuel, Tim Longley as the Sergeant of Police, and Belinda Butler as Ruth.

“Celebrating 75 years is an incredible milestone for the Society, and The Pirates of Penzance felt like the perfect way to do it,” said Sophie (publicity). “It’s funny, energetic, and genuinely entertaining for all ages. Whether you’ve loved Gilbert and Sullivan for years or are seeing it for the first time, this production is all about bringing people together and celebrating live theatre.”

As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Society has also released a special documentary, A Diamond Jubilee of Music and Merriment!, reflecting on the organisation’s 75-year history and its contribution to community theatre in Western Australia.

The Pirates of Penzance runs from 11–13 June and 17–20 June at the Dolphin Theatre in Crawley, with various performance times.

Tickets are available now at:
https://uniwa.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/161337

26/05/2026

From the archive.

Back in this month in 1991, Bicton artist Helen Almond was highly commended in the WA Printmakers Awards for her screen print of South Terrace’s Sahara Deli.

Also making the news, traffic calming measures were set to be introduced on Hampton Road.

More than three decades later, pedestrian safety at the busy road is still a concern.

25/05/2026

Rosslyn de Souza is a Fremantle community arts and place maker who livens our empty shops by running Street Gallery Fremantle in their empty windows. She was Fremantle Citizen of the Year 2025.

"...Lately, we’ve been enduring a particularly ugly strain of behaviour — and enough is enough.

One place bearing the brunt of this behaviour is PIAZZA Fremantle.

Fremantle is benefiting from the vision and investment of people committed to transforming the city into something vibrant, youthful, creative, and casually elegant — an arts and cultural hub full of life and possibility.

It is refreshing. It is exciting. And it deserves to be protected.

So why are groups of mindless young men — often in their 20s and 30s — choosing to trash it?

Newly planted trees ripped out. Fresh garden beds stomped into mud. Planters thrown into the fountain. Public spaces treated as disposable playgrounds.

This isn’t larrikinism. It’s not 'boys being boys.'

It’s weak, destructive behaviour carried out by people with no respect for place, community, or themselves.

This behaviour will not be normalised in Fremantle.

Those responsible should expect consequences — from bans to police action and public accountability. Actions have outcomes.

Let’s be very clear:

It is not okay to come into Fremantle to behave badly.

It is not okay to steal.

It is not okay to vandalise public spaces.

It is not okay to shoot up in public.

It is not okay to urinate in doorways and leave others to clean up the mess.

Fremantle is better than this."

Read full story at https://tinyurl.com/7jwc36fv.

Fremantle Herald Official

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

02/06/2026

30/05/2026

29/05/2026

28/05/2026

27/05/2026

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25/05/2026

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