Book Review
This 'Book Review' was published in The Journal of Australian Studies, Issue 21, February 2004.
Dowson, John, Old Fremantle: Photographs 1850 - 1950, University of Western Australia Press, 2003, pp 223, hb $75.00. ISBN 1920694129.
I will admit that I harbour a dream, to somehow be transported back to the town of Fremantle in its early stages, to bear witness to the building of its churches, its families and its secrets. I would love to whisper quietly to those early residents without damage to the future, thank you for starting this. Thank you for making me a town, a home, that I can walk through and smile, filled with appreciation for its history, its ability to endure in all challenges and its sheer independence.
John Dowson has given me at least a window to this dream, in his book, Old Fremantle.
When one begins to examine the history of a town, there is only a certain amount of reliable clues to draw upon. Oral history presents the most interactive, though unreliable of information; then there are the lovingly recorded history books, and then, the most faithful of history’s gifts, the photograph.
Author John Dowson, President of the Fremantle Society and an active city councillor, glorifies and delivers a momentous gift of history to Western Australia, heralding a record across two centuries of local history, covering the first hundred years of the presence of photography in Fremantle.
Before Dowson’s contribution, there sat a small selection of Fremantle’s history books, on our family bookshelf, among them, J.K. Ewer’s commissioned book, The Western Gateway (1948), and George Seddon’s, Swan River Landscapes (1970). In this addition to the canon of local history, Dowson states in his preface “even the most jaded latte sipper or disengaged youth should find something arresting”. It is in this statement that I hope Dowson is accurate. Connecting the past with the existing present, would give any reader a sense of place and pride, and surely remind future generations of the grand context of the town in which they live. In support of this, readers will fervently recognise the Sail and Anchor Hotel in 1896 (known as Hotel Australia in that year), the dome café (the Literary Institute), the markets, town hall and many other lesser known buildings.
The first fifteen pages are an ode to the photographers of Fremantle’s past, for it is with appreciation for the recordings, that one must enter the book. Dowson reveals to us the sheer luck of such recordings, in an age where isolation prevented established photographers in the port city. Australia’s dabble with photography in the early years of its inception in the world, was also hindered by a small population.
Next follows an examination of the Port, in photograph and anecdote. Interspersed with photos of the beginnings of harbour and town, are remarkable souvenirs. Invitations to the commencement of the harbour works, plans of the works, and an account by a clergyman of the friendships gained with local Aborigines.
The photographs, each beautifully restored by Pat Baker, are complimented by fascinating stories of local history, such as the building of the 1866 passenger bridge. “Ironically, it was an escaped convict, Moondyne Joe, who was the first person to cross the completed bridge.”
More events are brought to life, with an image of young girls running down to farewell the troops leaving for the Boer War, photos of the Arthur Head lighthouses (now demolished), ships bearing immigrants, and a rare glimpse of the working life below deck on one of the many ships that called to the harbour.
The City itself is then examined, showing the many images of High Street and the life than frequented the prison. The third section, Home, at first asks the question of whether local Aboriginals were present with a remarkable photograph of an Aboriginal woman, and later, domestic photos of Fremantle life and the Immigrants hostel. Further sections of the book are labelled People and Pleasure, Trains and Trams, Business, and War, each bringing to life the elements that influenced the growth and personality of this fine port city. Images of German prisoners of war arriving in Fremantle, and a photograph of the local office of United States president Herbert Hoover, reveals our small presence in the international agenda.
The ultimate realisation that the reader can have is that what they view within the pages of Old Fremantle is a procession of survival. The reader is witnessing the gradual growth of a town with industry and immigration, trade and cargo, and the life that formed the basis for what we have today.
The thirst to preserve our history for future generations has clearly been its own reward for Dowson, as the knowledge gained in compiling such a book would have been a significant journey. As Western Australians explore this beautiful book, their own journey of appreciation and awe will take place. Whether your own history is that of convict, migrant, settler or indigenous, there is something to remind the reader of our combined history, and the beautiful luck that one has, to know Fremantle.