An artesian well in the grounds, which struck water at a depth of 150 feet, gives an abundant supply, capable of supplying the whole of Perth. No less than 50,000 gallons of water are used every day on the grounds of Osborne alone. Steamers come to Osborne jetty during the week, and every Sunday in the summer, bringing hundreds of people to enjoy the scene. The steamer moors at a landing at the bottom of the cliff, and hundred of steps have to be climbed before the top is reached. The climb is made easy by a platform with seats at the end of every flight of steps, of which there are five, and one can rest on these to enjoy the pleasing prospect. Pretty villas are built all around the hillsides; dear little Freshwater Bay, with its numerous bathing-houses and jetties, the pretty yachts and boats on its bosom looking like white-winged birds, lies at your feet; and the wild note of the magpies, not yet frightened away by civilisation as the aborigines have been, is heard from the trees in the distance. Continuing our drive, we took the inner road up the hill. Another pretty little bay and suburb called Peppermint Grove, from the fact that at one time it was a grove of delicate peppermint-trees, discloses itself. There are many beautiful villas with gardens, a nice white, hard sandy beach, a fine jetty for the many boats that come from Perth and Fremantle, and the Yacht Club House. Keane’s Point, with a handsome old bungalow on a fine site, hides a bend of the river. The Chine, so called from its peculiar conformation, the ridge appearing like the backbone of an enormous whale or other gigantic sea monster, is another pretty spot. Any one who has the fortitude to climb to the top of the Chine will be rewarded by one of the most exquisite panoramic views of ocean, river, flower, shrub, sea and sky ever seen. The tints of the water from the reflection of the azure sky melting into pale yellow, then into rich gold and crimson from the setting sun, once seen will never be forgotten. Turning back, we resumed our drive up Forrest Street and into the main Fremantle Road. We were now in the seaside suburb of Cottesloe, and away over the hill lay the beautiful Cottesloe Beach, stretching along for miles. Cottesloe is one of the most flourishing suburbs of Perth. A few years ago it was all one dense bush; now it is full of human life, and houses are going up in all directions as fast as the builders can erect them. Past the quarries we went until a turn of the road brought us to a view so magnificent that its effect can never fade from my memory. In the distance the dark blue Indian Ocean rolled in all its majestic splendour; North Fremantle was in sight, and so was the mouth of the Swan river. We approached the bridge to cross it, and saw an effect even more beautiful. From the bridge on which we stopped a few minutes in order to gaze on this gorgeous scene we saw many fine ships lying at anchor on the broad ocean; up the river many small boats and steamers were moored; in the distance were white cliffs and pretty houses; the magnificent German steamer, the Friedrich der Grosse, was just going out to sea—and altogether the scene was truly a grand one. I hope I shall not be thought to rhapsodise too much, but I can assure my readers that I am writing exactly as I felt when first viewing the approach to Fremantle.
FRESHWATER BAY, CLAREMONT
When the new harbour is finished, Fremantle will be, as Sir John Forrest puts it, the Brindisi of Australia. And now we crossed the bridge and entered East Fremantle, leaving behind us the broad river winding its way to the ocean between two splendid breakwaters.
On we drove down Cantonment Road into High Street, the principal thoroughfare, at the top of which is the fine Town Hall with its splendid clock. From that point the street runs to Arthur’s Head, and is connected by a tunnel with the sea; on the top of the limestone cliff is an old building called the Old Cantonment, formerly used as a lock-up. Fremantle is built on a low-lying neck of land between Arthur’s Head on the one side and the limestone heights on the other, hemmed in on one hand by the river and on the other by the sea. The city was named after Captain Fremantle, who first hoisted the British flag there, in 1829.
There is a fine lighthouse on Arthur’s Head. It is a white stone tower 71 feet high, with a fixed white light, visible for 16 miles. Fremantle still possesses some old and singular-looking buildings. The old gaol and court-house, with the harbourmaster’s quarters and the barracks, will, no doubt, in course of time be replaced by more up-to-date structures; there are already many very fine new buildings. Fremantle has an excellent Grammar School, where most of the boys from Perth and the country districts receive their education. Mr. G. Bland Humble, the present worthy and respected Town Clerk of Fremantle, was the first master, having been brought from England in 1886 to teach the young idea of Western Australia how to shoot.
There are many good hotels, the Hotel Fremantle being the best at the city end of the town, and the Hotel Australia at the upper end. This latter is really a splendid hotel, standing in an excellent position, with a grand view of the river, harbour, and islands beyond. The jetty is half a mile long, and some large vessels are always lying there.
Fremantle is rapidly increasing in size and population, and social life is not so divided as in Perth; there seem to be more geniality and not so much stiffness about the people. A volunteer artillery corps, turf, bicycle, rowing, cricket, and football clubs provide various forms of social activity. There is a nice park, also a good recreation-ground, and several places of entertainment, and the large hall in the Town Hall is very handsome and superbly decorated. An inexhaustible supply of water is obtained from three large wells connected by drives. The water is pumped up by steam into reservoirs at the rate of 45,000 gallons an hour.