About Us

The Municipality of East Fremantle was created in 1897 when it separated from the greater Fremantle area. The first meeting of the East Fremantle Council was held on 14 August 1897 in the Plympton Hotel (now the Tradewinds Hotel) where the first Mayor Mathew Moss was sworn in.

The Town of East Fremantle now boasts a population of 8,060. It is 3.2 kilometres in area, bounded to the north and west by the Swan River. To the east it shares a common boundary with the City of Melville, and to the south and west with the City of Fremantle. 

The Town has a rich history. The local Aboriginal tribe known as Nyoongar/Whadjuk obtained food and drinking water from the river foreshore and open grassy areas. The track that linked the fledgling Swan River Colony based in Fremantle to the future city centre of Perth in 1831 is documented traversing along the East Fremantle cliff edge finishing at the river ferry crossing at Preston Point. 

Early European settlement of the area consisted of large farm holdings, however as the colony prospered during the 1890s gold rush, the nature of settlement altered dramatically, rapidly changing to a residential area. 

The Plympton precinct today contains many charming worker's cottages which were established largely between 1890 and 1910. Riverside precinct was established by the merchant elite of Fremantle and is perched high on the cliffs overlooking the river. Gracious homes, some from the goldrush era, are dotted along the escarpment.

Further northwards, the Richmond Hill Precinct was developed in the 1950s with houses typical of the period also enjoying the expansive views over the river. The Woodside and Richmond precincts contain many homes dating from 1900 to 1940 exhibiting a distinct and unique character within the Town. 

Development in East Fremantle 

The Town of East Fremantle has strongly resisted the push for infill development and encouraged the retention of the many heritage homes, gardens and streetscapes in the area.

Whilst the pressure from the State Planning Authorities to increase densities may ultimately prevail, in East Fremantle the community and families currently enjoy the standard of amenity of their forebears, with space for children to play and a sense of history and community unparalleled elsewhere.

Abolition of Wards 

Following amendments to the Local Government Act 1995, the Town’s four Wards were abolished in 2023 to create one district.  This means that the Town’s previous representation of two Councillors for each of the four Wards was changed to eight Councillors representing the district. 

It is intended to retain the historic Plympton, Woodside, Richmond and Preston Point ward names simply to reference specific areas of the Town.

Map - Town of East Fremantle Ward Boundaries

Statistics

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