Heritage Minister inspects Whalers Tunnel canopy

Heritage Minister David Templeman has been joined by Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge and artist Jo Darbyshire to inspect the new rockfall canopy at Arthur Head – the site of Fremantle’s historic Round House.

The recently completed canopy at the western entrance to the Whalers Tunnel is part of the third phase of a package of conservation works to address the severe erosion of the limestone cliffs at Arthur Head.

The canopy is clad in corten steel and features impressive laser cut artworks created by Jo Darbyshire.

Ms Darbyshire said the artwork was inspired by both the Indigenous and European history of Arthur Head.

“At Bathers Beach in 2017 Whadjuk Noongar elder Noel Nannup shared a story with the Fremantle community about ‘singing the whales’, and he gave me permission to use the story for this project,” Ms Darbyshire said. 

“I worked with Anne Brake from the Fremantle History Group on the text about the European history of the Whalers Tunnel, and then I worked with local artist Rick Vermey on the CAD (computer aided design) drawings to cut the corten steel design.

“The image of the Mamong, the Nyoongar word for whale, that has been laser cut into the corten steel canopy references two stories. There’s an image of a European whaling boat and there’s an image of a Southern Right whale.

“Within the whale are symbols of starfish, which represent the ‘kulungas’ or little spirit children which Noel Nannup mentioned, that lived inside the Mamong and were released when it died.

“As the starfish move outside the body of the whale they change to star shapes.”

The conservation works at Arthur Head were jointly funded by the City of Fremantle and the state government, who each committed $500,000 to the project.

In addition to the rockfall canopy, the third phase of the project also included reinforcing the entrance to the Whalers Tunnel and stabilising the cliffs above.

The first phase involved repairing and repointing the huge limestone wall on the eastern side of Arthur Head, while the second phase involved extending the existing retaining wall adjacent to the railway line.

Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge thanked the state government for its contribution to the project.

“It was back in 2018 that the City had to fence off the cliffs at Arthur Head and install temporary scaffolding at the entrance to the Whalers Tunnel because of the safety risk from falling rocks,” Mayor Fitzhardinge said.

“It’s been a tricky project given the unstable nature of the cliffs and the heritage sensitivity of the site, but the end result is wonderful.

“Not only is the canopy a brilliant engineering solution jointly designed by Atelier JV and Hocking Heritage & Architecture, it’s also a beautiful addition to the Arthur Head precinct thanks to Jo’s stunning artwork.”

Heritage Minister David Templeman said the conservation works had revitalised the area, with the beautiful Mamong artwork on the rockfall canopy a great addition to the attractions in the popular area near Bathers Beach.

“Arthur Head, known for the iconic Round House perched on the cliff edge, is already a beloved cultural landmark and a popular visitor attraction in Fremantle,” he said.

“I encourage everyone to visit and see Mamong up close and learn more about the significance of Arthur Head.

“I thank the City of Fremantle for their management of this project and their care of this valuable State heritage asset.”

The Round House was the first permanent building in the Swan River Colony and is the oldest public building still standing in Western Australia.

It was built as a jail and opened in 1831, with the Whalers Tunnel added in 1838.

Between 1833 and the 1960s Arthur Head was extensively quarried to provide building material and to facilitate works on Fremantle Port and the railway.

The quarrying left the cliff faces exposed to the harsh coastal environment and has contributed to ongoing issues with cliff instability and erosion.