Fremantle Arts Centre, Heritage building in Fremantle, Australia.
The Fremantle Arts Centre occupies a limestone building with Gothic architectural features, tall windows, and ornamental details adorning its exterior walls. It houses exhibition galleries, artist studios, workshop spaces, and an interior courtyard regularly used for events and performances.
Constructed in 1861 using convict labor under architect Richard Roach Jewell, the building originally functioned as a psychiatric institution until the early 1900s. Its later conversion to an arts facility marks a significant shift in how the space serves the community.
The centre functions as a gathering place where artists and visitors meet to experience and create local art together. Its galleries and working studios shape the daily rhythm of the space, fostering creative connections between people.
The centre is open Tuesday through Sunday for visitors and offers art courses alongside a shop featuring local creations. Take your time exploring the different areas, and use the courtyard as a natural place to pause and rest.
The limestone walls bear scratches and initials carved by convicts during its construction, offering a direct physical connection to the workers who built it. These marks bring visitors face to face with the human story embedded in the building itself.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
