Perth By Rail:
Along the Fremantle Line, WA
The railway on which the service runs opened on 1 March 1881 as the first suburban railway line in Perth. It originally operated as the Eastern Railway and ran between Fremantle and Guildford, via central Perth. In March 1884, the railway line was extended via Midland Junction to Bellevue and later to Clackline, York and Northam. The railway line opened as a single track with a passing loop at Claremont, it was duplicated in 1896/97. A dedicated freight line was later added on the western side between Cottesloe and the Leighton Marshalling Yard.
Passenger services on the Fremantle line were suspended on 1 September 1979. The decision was based on three one day counts in 1971, 1975 and 1977. The Liberal government of Charles Court planned to convert the railway reserve into a busway. The closure of the line was opposed by Friends of the Railway (FOR), which submitted a petition of 100,000 signatures and prepared a 98-page report arguing for its retention. The railway was kept in working order despite the closure. The service was reinstated on 29 July 1983 following a change of government which saw Brian Burke and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) come to power.
During 1990, work commenced on building a new North Fremantle station, 800 metres (870 yd) north of its original location, which opened for service on 28 July 1991. Leighton station, which was 700 metres (770 yd) further north, was demolished during the electrification of the line. Regular electric services started in September 1991. Today there are 17 stations on the line.
Perth Railway Station
Between 2011 and 2014, the Fremantle line was sunk between Lake Street and the Horseshoe Bridge in the Perth CBD to allow for the redevelopment of the area. Perth station's former Fremantle to Midland platform became an island platform, with an additional platform and track built on the north side.
City West
City West serves the inner city suburb of West Perth. Formerly an exclusive enclave for wealthy merchants and politicians, West Perth is now part of the inner mixed zone, and has predominantly office blocks which have displaced residential buildings. The suburb has a relatively high proportion of miners, consultants, and especially medical specialists as compared with the Perth CBD. Streets such as Colin Street, Ord Street, and Outram Street have a significant percentage of office and high density residential buildings. This location was home to the Perth Metropolitan Markets from 1929 to 1989, when they moved to Canning Vale.
The original West Perth station opened in 1883 as North Perth. It was renamed West Perth in 1890. The station closed on 1 September 1979 along with the rest of the Fremantle line, re-opening on 29 July 1983 when services were restored. in June 1986, a new West Perth station opened on the other side of the West Perth Subway. It was renamed City West on 19 November 1987 in conjunction with the opening of an adjacent Parry Corporation commercial development of the same name. It is now a major transport option for students of the nearby Perth Modern School.
West Leedervile
West Leederville, located 3 kilometres northwest of Perth's central business district, used to be integrated with Leederville prior to the construction of the Mitchell Freeway through the suburb in 1972. The tiny section east of Southport Street is a commercial area with several warehouses, taking advantage of its location at the end of the Graham Farmer Freeway. The rest of the suburb is medium-density residential.
West Leederville is the earliest area of residential subdivision in the Town of Cambridge. It was originally formed from the sale and subdivision of the estate of William Henry Leeder that occurred from 1891. West Leederville Primary School was founded in 1898. Most of West Leederville's residential land was subdivided prior to 1903.
Subiaco
"Subi", as it is affectionately known by locals, is renowned for its independent, unique stores and friendly service. There are over 70 fashion stores, as well as many jewellery, homewares, gourmet food and other speciality stores. Rokeby Road and Hay Street are the main shopping precincts, but there are many treasures to be found in the shops in the back and side streets adjacent to the main strips.
Subiaco is a centre for the arts with many galleries and art supply venues. Subi is home to the iconic, Art Deco-era Regal Theatre, which has regular musical, theatre and comedy shows throughout the year. The Subiaco Arts Centre is another popular venue which attracts patrons from far and wide. As part of the Subi Centro project, Subiaco station and 900 metres of the line were sunk in 1998.
Daglish
Daglish is a small western suburb of Perth, approximately 4 kilometres west of the Perth central business district. The Daglish railway station opened in 1924 in response to population growth in the neighbouring suburb of Subiaco. The following year, the Municipality of Subiaco bought the land west of the railway station to sell for housing. Development occurred over the following 20 years. The initial development next to the railway station used the garden suburb principles, with large lots and gardens, curved streets, and lots of green space. Today, the suburb has significant heritage value due to its uniform streetscape, with most original homes still standing.
Shenton Park
Located 4 km west of the Perth Central Business District, the suburb is named after the park that it contains, Shenton Park, which was named after George Shenton who originally owned the land that is now the suburb of Shenton Park.
Birds such as laughing kookaburras, red-tailed black-cockatoo, long-billed corella, lorikeets, Australian pelican, black swan among others can frequently be seen in the suburb especially at Jualbup Lake. The Lake is also home to long neck turtles and motorbike frogs. The bushland near Shenton College is home to indigenous bats with purpose built bat boxes in an effort to protect them from non-indigenous birds.
Karrakatta
The suburb of Karrakatta is located 7 km west of the central business district. Karrakatta is composed of two distinct areas, due to the Fremantle railway line passing through the suburb. On the south side is Karrakatta Cemetery, which began service in 1899, with a small industrial area occupied by monument builders, associated companies and the depot for City of Nedlands. The other area north of the railway line and Karrakatta railway station is occupied by the Australian Defence Force's Irwin Army Barracks.
East Perth Cemetery was the first burial ground in Perth with interments commencing in 1830. Early settlers and pioneers were buried there until 1899 when Karrakatta Cemetery opened.
Loch Street
Loch Street railway station is located on the Fremantle and Airport lines, 8 kilometres from Perth station serving the suburbs of Claremont, Mount Claremont and Karrakatta. Loch Street station opened in 1954. Its construction was part of the conversion of Perth's passenger train system from steam to diesel power, allowing smaller intervals between stations.
The platforms weren't long enough to accommodate four car train sets, resulting in alternate trains skipping the station. Only two car train sets stopped, at night and on weekends. In May 2009, work to extend the platforms was completed. Since 10 October 2022, the station has been served by Airport line services in addition to the pre-existing Fremantle line services.
Loch Street is one of the oldest streets in Claremont. The first person noted as living in Loch Street is blacksmith Thomas Golding who had a house and forge there in 1898. Golding was joined by another in 1899 but only four households, including Golding’s, are shown by 1903, a date which marks the start of a major period of development in Claremont.
Claremont
The classy, up-market suburb of Claremont is located on the northern bank of the Swan River, on Freshwater Bay, between Perth and Fremantle. Claremont s retail precinct, St Quentins Ave or Bayview Tce is where Perth's beautiful people go for some serious retail therapy. There are plenty of cafes, eateries and bars too. Claremont has numerous grand homes in the Agett Road and Richardson Avenue areas on the south side of Stirling Highway, while lesser areas include the areas around Ashton Avenue to the north.
Claremont Showgrounds
The Claremont Showgrounds are serviced by a special events railway station on the Fremantle line. Opened on 20 September 1995, it has direct connection with the showgrounds. The original Showgrounds Station, opened in 1954, was located 350 metres further east with platforms on either side of the line, and required negotiating road crossings to access the showgrounds.
The original Showgrounds station opened on 2 October 1954 on the north side of the Ashton Avenue road bridge. When services were restored in March 1994 after the line's closure in the 1980s, construction of a new Showgrounds station 400 metres south commenced. It opened on 20 September 1995.
Swanbourne
Swanbourne is an affluent, beachside locale with older Federation style homes, many being renovated. The suburb was established in the late 19th century. Swanbourne Beach is well-known for having the only nudist beach in Perth. The nudist beach is situated on what was once army land and was thus not subject to local council authority.
Swanbourne's status as a nude beach has been protected in recent years by the efforts of regular users. It is immediately north of the officially named Swanbourne Beach. There is a surf lifesaving club and plenty of parking at the main Swanbourne Beach at the end of North Street.
Grant Street
11.1 kilometres from Perth central station, Grant Street Station serves North Cottesloe. Grant Street was one of the area's first streets; the beach at its end was known as Grant Street Beach. Grant Street station, opened in 1954, was the last station on the Fremantle line to be brought into service. Following the introduction of four-carriage trains on 18 August 2002, services could not stop at Grant Street due to the platform lengths with alternative road transport provided. In May 2009, work was completed at the station to extend the platforms, and four-carriage trains now stop at the station.
Grant Street was one of North Cottesloe's first streets and the main thoroughfare through through it when subdivided. The beach at its western end was known as Grant Street Beach. It is now referred to as North Cottesloe.
Cottesloe
Cottesloe Beach is one of the most popular of all Western Australia's city beaches. It is located midway between the Perth central business district and the port of Fremantle in Perth's western suburbs, only 15 minutes from the city centre. Cottesloe is renowned for its relaxed lifestyle and has been a popular seaside holiday destination for Perth locals for more than 100 years. Its village atmosphere and rich maritime heritage is sure to entice you to explore beyond its golden sands. It's also the perfect place to watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean while dining on fresh seafood.
The wide grassy Cottesloe Esplanade, shaded by giant Norfolk Pines, offers lovely spots for family picnics, beach and cricket. Outdoor music concerts are often held there. There is a buzzing boulevard of restaurants, cafes and bars along Marine Parade where you can enjoy a delicious beachside meal. An oceanway allows pedestrians and cyclists to move between beaches easily.
Mosman Park
Mosman Park is a western suburb of Perth on the north bank of the Swan River. It was historically known as Buckland Hill (1889-1909), then Cottesloe Beach (1909-1930) and again Buckland Hill (1930-1937). From 1937 it was named Mosman Park, derived from Mosman in Sydney, the birthplace of Richard Yeldon, a member of the Buckland Hill Road Board. Mosman Park is now considered an affluent suburb, but prior to the 1970s was one of Perth's major industrial centres.
Mosman Park is bounded by the Indian Ocean and the Fremantle railway line to the west, a line south of Johnston Street to the north, and the Swan River to the east and south with approximately 5 km of river frontage. Buckland Hill, named by Capt James Stirling after James Buckland who became Dean of Westminster, is the last remaining intact peak of seven prominant hills in the Mosman Park region between the Swan River and the Indian Ocean. It is one of the highest points in the Perth metropolitan area.
Regular passenger services to Mosman Park station (then called Cottesloe Beach station) commenced on 1 March 1894, 13 years after the line was opened. In 1896 a station-master was appointed. The name of the station was changed to Buckland Hill in 1931 and to Mosman Park in 1937 to reflect changes of name of the local government area from Cottesloe Beach Road District to Buckland Hill Road District to Mosman Park Road District.
Vlamingh lookout
Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh landed on Mosman Park's ocean beach in 1697 and climbed Buckland Hill to ascertain what lay beyond it and in doing so noted the Swan River which he named. Vlamingh himself travelled up the river past the site of the City of Perth as far as present day Guildford. He and his crew are believed to have been the first Europeans to do so. They are also assumed to be the first Europeans to see black swans, and de Vlamingh named the Swan River (Zwaanenrivier in Dutch) after the large number they observed there.
Victoria Street
Victoria Street railway station is located 14.2 kilometres from Perth station, serving the suburbs of Mosman Park and Cottesloe. Victoria Street station opened in 1954. To the west of the station, a now lifted freight line ran from Cottesloe to the Leighton Marshalling Yard. The yard, stretching along the coast from North Fremantle to Mosman Park, was a huge rail complex, its establishment coinciding with the completion of the standard gauge railway line from the eastern states. The freight yard had become redundant by the 1980s with the introduction of container handling facilities on Fremantle's North Wharf.
Leighton marshalling yard after it was decommissioned
In 1906, the Buckland Hill Infants School opened on the corner of Solomon and Victoria Streets following a petition to the State government. The stretch of Stirling Highway around Victoria Street was industrialised after World War I due to its location near the railway line and the port of Fremantle. General Motors Holden built an assembly plant on the corner of Buckland Avenue and Victoria Avenue.
The GMH plant was seen to be too small and restricted for expansion programs in the 1960s, but despite intensive searching, no suitable alternative location was found. Mosman Park was closed in 1972 as a result of GMH’s centralised production drive in the 1970s. At the time of its closure it was assembling mechanical items such as engines, transmissions, axles etc., to completed car bodies. The mechanical components were railed from Victoria and South Australia. The last car, an HQ 'SS' model was driven off line in September, 1972. The WA market for GMH vehicles was then served by transporting complete cars from Victoria and South Australia.
The Ford Motor Company Factory had a similar assembly plant nearby on Stiring Highway. Its rendered brick large volume factory with single storey office area attached was constructed in 1929. The factory operated until 1987 when it was sold to Alan and John McGillvary of the Mac’s food centres. It is now home to the Matilda Bay Brewing Company.
North Fremantle
During 1990, work commenced on building a new North Fremantle station, 800 metres north of its original location, which opened for service on 28 July 1991. Leighton station, which was 700 metres further north, was demolished during the electrification of the line. Regular electric services started in September 1991.
Port and Leighton Beaches are the local ocean beaches. Though quite close to Fremantle Harbour's North Quay wharf facilities they are not affected adversely by them. The sand is still very clean and small waves. Facilities include shelters, toilets and a surf lifesaving club with a few eating establishments close by.
Fremantle
Affectionately known in the Western Australian vernacular as "Freo", Fremantle is located 19 km southwest of Perth, the state capital, at the mouth of the Swan River on Australia's west coast. A thriving port city serving the City of Perth and the State of Western Australia, Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829 - in fact it was on Bathers Beach of Fremantle that the new colonists landed after their long voyage from Britain. Hundreds and thousands of migrants to Western Australia would follow in their footsteps for the next 140 years, Fremantle being their point of entry into Australia's largest state.
The original Fremantle railway station was constructed in 1881 next to Cliff Street. Following the extension of the Eastern Railway to Kalgoorlie in 1896, the station was an important hub for gold miners arriving in Western Australia via ship and then travelling to the Yilgarn and Eastern Goldfields.
In 1907 the station and marshalling yards were established at the present location to better service the newly constructed Fremantle Harbour. The station was designed by William Dartnell, Chief Engineer of Existing Lines of the Railway Department in 1905. The station features Donnybrook stone construction on the façade with red face brick infill panels on a Donnybrook stone plinth, in Federation Free Classical style.
