Multicultural Maritime: Discovery Trail

Walyalup is the Nyoongar name for the Fremantle area, and it has been an important centre of trade, meeting, culture and ceremony for Aboriginal people for thousands of years.

Long before colonisation by Europeans, there was a rocky limestone bar across the mouth of the river/bilya you see here. It separated the fresh river water from the salty ocean, and was an important spiritual location and crossing point. The river/bilya provided fish and other resources for the Nyoongar people who lived and visited here.

In the late 1800s, this rocky bar was removed with explosives to allow large ships entry into the harbour. This changed Fremantle/Walyalup forever – while it allowed Fremantle to develop as a safe port for international trade, transport and migration, it also destroyed an important functional and spiritual place for Nyoongar people.

This view can be seen from the windows inside the museum, and it shows the last remnants of the rock bar:

This image shows the rocky bar being removed with explosives:

Do you think everyone agreed with the removal of this rocky bar?

How do you think the removal of the rock bar influenced the development of Fremantle? Were these developments positive or negative?

Head over to the Welcome Walls.

The Welcome Walls you can see here commemorate thousands of migrants who have made Western Australia their new home.

Fremantle was the gateway to Australia for millions of migrants who arrived here by sailing ship, steam ship, naval vessel and ocean liner. Some stayed, while others continued on the eastern states. 

The migrants who have come here from all over the world have shared their cultures through their traditions, food and new skills. They have helped make Fremantle the vibrant, multicultural hub it is today, while also extending their cultural influence further into Western Australia.

Explore the Welcome Walls:

Can you find a name like yours? 

Search for Panel 31 and find the name of Chow Moon – he is the first documented Chinese migrant in Fremantle. What year did he arrive? 

He was a boat builder and carpenter and brought the skills he learned in China to many local buildings and boats in Fremantle. 

Can you guess what some of the other migrant nationalities are from their names on the Welcome Walls? 

Got more time?

Take a closer look at some of the information panels to read some quotes from migrants to Fremantle.

To learn more about some of the migrants on the Welcome Walls, visit the Welcome Walls website: www.museum.wa.gov.au/welcomewalls 

Find the statue of two children nearby...

This statue of two children is dedicated to the child migrants who came from other countries without their families. Some children were orphans, others were led to believe their parents had died. They were sent to help populate the country, and provide cheap labour. When they arrived, they lived here in children’s homes or were fostered or adopted.

Take a closer look at the statue, and the read the plaques in the ground:

Where did the children come from?

What might their experiences have been like, both leaving their home country, and arriving here? 

Now head inside the museum (entry fees apply, please enquire with our friendly staff), and find the following showcase on the Ground level.

For thousands of years, the Indian Ocean has linked cultures through the trade of goods and ideas. In addition, the migration of many people sailing across the ocean has spread new cultural influences around the region.

Voyages of exploration and discovery brought visitors from the Netherlands, France, and Britain. Later resource industries such as whaling and pearling brought trade and settlement from the Americas, Asia, Europe and beyond.

Today Western Australia welcomes people from all over the world, to visit, trade and live.

Find the following items – where have they come from? 
 

*This is a replica of De Vlamingh's plate

On your way to your next stop, take a look in the souk display.

What trade items can you find in the souk?

Want to know more?

Learn more about Middle Eastern Trade here and here.

Learn more about the spice trade here – worth their weight in gold!

For your next stop, find the boat pictured below.

Aboriginal people in Northern Australia had contact with other cultures for hundreds of years. From the early 1600s, Indonesian fishermen from Macassar in Sulawesi came to northern Australia to gather trepang (also known as a sea cucumber), which was used in the preparation of Chinese food and medicine. They traded with the Aboriginal people, exchanging items like tools, food, and other resources in return for locally sourced materials and goods.
 

Find this display:

What is this item?

How was it prepared?

Today, Indonesian fishermen still make a living from the sea, but they sometimes stray into restricted areas. The boat in front of you is the Sama Biasa. It came in search of fish and trochus shell, but was arrested fishing outside the designated fishing zone in Australian waters.

The boat was confiscated and the crew returned to Indonesia.

Find this item:

What is it, and how was it gathered?

Why do you think some fishing activities are restricted or illegal? What impact could this have on the movement of people in a region?

Want to know more?

Why is Sama Biasa in the WA Maritime Museum?

Shipboard Life on board the Sama Biasa.

Making a living from the sea - Sama Biasa.

Learn more about Trepang here.

Learn more about early Indonesian influence on Aboriginal culture here

Learn about First Nations encounters with others, from overseas here.

Head into the Fishing Gallery to find the next stop.

From the late 1800s, skilled migrants (mostly men) from Sicily and Molfetta in Italy, and other southern European countries like Croatia arrived in Western Australia, bringing expertise in fishing and maritime trades. Many spoke little English but quickly found work along the coast.

Often arriving alone or with close relatives, these early migrants worked to establish themselves before reuniting with family. Letters home kept connections alive, and once financially secure, many returned briefly to marry or bring loved ones to Fremantle.

Their contributions helped shape Fremantle’s multicultural fishing industry and community. This display highlights stories of Italian, Croatian, Greek, and Portuguese immigrants whose traditions and hard work transformed the local landscape.

Look up! Who owned the Doria, and what country did they come from?

Find these costumes. Who wore them and why?

Find and read this panel:

What is the ‘Blessing of the Fleet?’

Why do you think an ancient tradition like the Blessing of the Fleet has been celebrated in Fremantle for so long?

Find this picture on display, and read the information panel:

Where did this family come from and when?

Why do you think they changed their name?

What was the government’s opinion of people from their country?

Want to know more?

Learn more about The Blessing of fleet here and here. 

Next stop: Sail ahead towards the ocean and find Australia II. 

The America’s Cup is a famous international yacht race, with the oldest sporting trophy in the world. In 1983, this Australian yacht, Australia II, made history when it won the America’s Cup, beating the Americans who had held the cup for 132 years (since 1851).

The America’s Cup race put Fremantle on the map for tourism and international yacht racing after the win, as the race to defend the cup in 1987 was held in Fremantle.

Seventeen syndicates from 7 countries arrived in Fremantle, and the eyes of the world were focused here. International visitors flocked to Fremantle, and millions of dollars were spent on improvements. A new marina was built, new cycle paths and train stations appeared, and new restaurants and businesses opened.

This international event benefitted Fremantle long after the race was over, and contributed to its growth and development as a multicultural hub. 

This is the secret ‘winged keel’ that helped the Australian’s win the race. It was kept hidden until it was revealed to fans after the final race.
 

Find the replica tank model displayed here and read the information:
 

Where were the secret keel designs tested?

Find this display nearby:

Australia II’s victory was celebrated throughout Australia, with many different commemorative items appearing.

What souvenir and commemorative items can you find on display here?

How do you think these kinds of items helped celebrate Australian culture and identity?

What souvenirs have you collected, and why?

Got more time?
 

Search online to find and listen to the song ‘Down Under’ by Men at Work. This was used as a theme song by the crew of Australia II, and has become an unofficial Australian anthem in the years since.

Why do you think this song was chosen by the crew?

What typically ‘Australian’ elements can you identify in the lyrics?

Can you think of any other songs you associate with other countries?

Want to know more?

Watch a video about Australia II’s win here.

Look at the photo gallery here.

Learn more about Australia II here.

Learn more about sailing here.

Make your way up the nearby staircase to the Mezzanine level.

Find the replica of the America’s Cup:

Search online to find out how many countries the real cup has travelled to.

Spotto! Can you find these boxing Kangaroos in the gallery? (Hint: look up high, behind the sail!)
 

The red-gloved boxing kangaroo became the most recognisable and enduring mascot of the Australia II syndicate. Originally featured on a battle flag, the image is now owned by the Australian Olympic Committee, is recognised all around the world.

Keep walking along the mezzanine level until you find the Valdura Ferry…

This is the Valdura, one of a fleet of Swan River ferries that provided ferry services, private hire and fishing expeditions from the early 1900s. It got its name from its owner’s Scandinavian heritage – other names in the ‘Val’ series included Valhalla, Valkyrie, Valdavia, Valthora, Valdana and Valdemar.

During World War II, two of the fleet were taken to the Middle East by the military for the war effort. After the war, the Val fleet were used by the Fremantle Harbour Trust to transport workers between the wharfs of Fremantle Harbour. Eventually Valdura was used as a houseboat, then abandoned, and finally sank. 

How do you think Western Australian troops stationed overseas would have felt, seeing a local ferry so far from home?

Why do you think the Museum chose to restore Valdura after it sank? 
 

All aboard! Take a seat on-board the Valdura, and reflect on the contributions made by the immigrant owners of the Val fleet.
 

Make your way back downstairs to the Ground level. Then take the stairs or elevator to Level One of the Museum, and head to the Naval Defence gallery. 
 

Where you are standing right now was once top secret, surrounded by barbed wire and sentries!

During World War II, Fremantle played a very important role. From 1942, Japanese submarines were active in Australian waters and spy planes made surveillance flights over our major cities. With enemy submarines patrolling off the Western Australian coast, Fremantle became an important USA, British and Dutch submarine base. It was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere at the time (after the bombing of Pearl Harbour) and was kept secret as many allied bases had fallen to the Japanese. 

Between 1942 and 1945, Fremantle port accommodated more than 170 submarines from the allied navies, as well as battleships, troop transports, hospital ships and support vessels.

This led to much cultural exchange between Australians and the visiting American, British and Dutch troops. Friendships were made, lifelong bonds were created and there were even some intercultural marriages.

These connections expanded Fremantle’s multicultural ties, and can still be felt today. 

Find these images and read their captions:

How might the marriages between local women and visiting sailors have influenced the development of multiculturalism in Western Australia?  
 

Where is this pennant from?

Want to know more?

Learn more about the models used by the allies at Fremantle here.

Learn about Fremantle’s secret fleet here.

 

Find the Trixen nearby.

The pearling industry in Western Australia has always been a multicultural enterprise, attracting workers from many nationalities – some willingly, while others were sadly forced.

Trixen is a West Australian pearling lugger originally built in 1904 and used in pearling operations in north-west Australia into the 1940s. After it sank in the Swan River, it was rebuilt and restored by the WA Maritime Museum, where it is displayed as an example of a 1940s Broome based pearling lugger. In the 1880s Broome became the world’s major pearl shell and pearl producing centre. By 1900, pearling was Western Australia’s fourth largest export industry after gold, timber and wool.

Pearling could be very profitable for the Pearling Masters, as pearls and pearl shell were highly desired in the past.  They could be used for buttons, jewellery, ornaments, and furniture and cutlery inlay. 

Find the display case containing these items: 

What items can you find that were made out of pearl and pearl shell? 

Are these materials still used for those items? If not, what has replaced them? 

What made pearl shell so valuable?

Look at the Master Pearler mannequin on the deck of Trixen.

Master pearlers could become very rich, and exerted power and influence in their communities. However many exploited their workers and engaged in slavery as a way to make more profit.

Aboriginal people were often kidnapped and forced to dive for pearl shell. ‘Malay’ labourers (then a term used to describe anyone of Asian origin) were indentured workers that were employed on contract with the guarantee of return to their county afterwards. These workers came from places like Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Timor, and present-day Malaysia and Indonesia, but were often not returned to their homes as promised.

All workers risked injury and death while working in challenging and dangerous conditions. The pearling industry at this time was known for brutality, disease, and maltreatment.

What thoughts and feelings do you have when you see the Master Pearler figure on Trixen’s deck?

How do you think the pearling industry might have changed since the early days?

Want to know more?

Learn more about the Trixen’s history here.

Learn more about Master Pearlers here.

Visit the online exhibition Lustre: Pearling & Australia here.

Head for the Immigration display you see pictured next…

The port of Fremantle has been the gateway to Australia for many thousands of immigrants from all over the world. Many left their home countries in the hopes of a better future, some left because they had no choice. Before air travel became more affordable, ship arrival was how most immigrants arrived.

Walk around this display to see the steps of the gangway:
 
 

This ship passenger gangway was used here at Victoria Quay between the 1950s and the 1970s for arriving passengers and immigrants disembarking from their voyages.

Imagine the thousands of immigrants that have walked down these stairs - how might they have felt standing at the top of that gangway, contemplating their new life in Australia?
 

Find and read the quotes displayed nearby: 

What were some of the first impressions of the new arrivals?

Find this display:
 

With limited luggage space and high transport costs, immigrants couldn’t bring everything they wanted with them. They had to make tough decisions about what to pack to take with them to their new country.

This suitcase belonged to the family of Nonja Peters, who came from the Netherlands as a five-year-old in 1949. After World War II, with many people having lost their home and, tragically, family members, there was a huge flow of people out of Europe seeking a new life in a new land. Nonja’s parents decided that they should emigrate to Australia as they hoped for a better life here. 

Take a look inside Nonja’s suitcase. What items did they bring with them for their new life in Australia?

Why do you think some of these things were chosen, and how might they have helped the family once they arrived?

What would you pack into a single suitcase if you were starting a new life in a foreign country?

Find this display:
 

By the 1960s, new arrivals to the port of Fremantle were greeted by Fremantle Port Authority Hostesses. They wore the bright red and white uniform you see here, and they all spoke at least two languages and had a wide knowledge of Western Australia. Many were migrants themselves, and they helped newcomers take their first steps in a new land.

Why were the Port hostesses used?

How would their presence have made new migrants feel?

Want to know more?

Learn more about Nonja Peters’ suitcase here

Learn more about past immigration policies here.

Walk around to the other side of the display to find the Aboriginal artefacts…

Long before European arrival, Aboriginal peoples in Western Australia maintained rich and complex networks of cultural exchange. These networks connected diverse language groups across vast distances, allowing the sharing of stories, dances, rituals, tools, and knowledge. Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley also engaged in cross-cultural contact with Macassan visitors from Sulawesi, Indonesia. 

With European colonisation, traditional patterns of exchange were disrupted. While some new forms of exchange emerged, Aboriginal people were often treated unfairly, and their land and resources were taken without respect. Their tools and knowledge were often undervalued, while natural resources like sandalwood—traditionally used for food and medicine—were exploited for profit. Land was cleared for farming, often without regard for the deep cultural and spiritual connections Aboriginal people had with Country.

Despite these disruptions, Aboriginal cultures have remained resilient. The long history of cultural exchange—both within Australia and beyond—continues to shape Australia’s multicultural story today.

How might the Aboriginal people of Western Australian felt at the arrival of foreigners?

Look inside this display cabinet showing items traded between English explorers and the Menang Nyoongar people of Albany:

 

What were these items ‘bought’ with?

Do you think the Menang Nyoongar got a fair ‘price’ for their tools and weapons?

Why do you think the English and Aboriginal peoples traded? 
 

Want to know more?

Learn about the Kodj, and Aboriginal axe here.

Learn about the spear (geitch) and shield (wunda) here.

Learn about sandalwood here.

For your final stop, make your way over to the whale tail…

Whaling was Western Australia’s first industry, and used labour from many different cultures.
Before the Swan River colony was founded in 1829, Americans, French and British hunted whales on the southwest coast of Western Australia. They employed African-Americans, Pacific Islanders and Maoris as shore and boat crews from the early 1800s. Nyoongar men were also involved in the whaling industry, some paid the same as others in the crew, but some forced into it due to a shortage of labour and funds. Later whalers included Norwegians who brought modern whaling methods to Australia.

A whaling station operated in Fremantle from 1837 to 1860. The Whalers Tunnel that lies beneath the Round House, is a well-known Fremantle landmark that can still be visited today.

Find this image and read the text: 
 

How many different cultures/nationalities can you find mentioned?

Why do you think the whaling industry attracted such a multicultural crew?

Find this display.
 

Whales were hunted for meat, oil and much more - nothing was wasted. 
•    Oil was turned into lamp oil, candles, soap, perfume, shoe polish, and even margarine! 
•    Baleen was used as ‘boning’ in corsets and for umbrellas and fishing rods. 
•    Whale bones were ground up to make fertiliser for agriculture. 

These products were traded and exported, connecting Western Australia to an international market. 

Commercial whaling in Australia stopped in 1978, when the focus turned towards the protection and conservation of whales. Whale hunting has been replaced with whale watching, which supports tourism, education and cultural exchange.

How many different items from the whaling and sealing industries can you find in the display case?

Do we still use whale products to make the modern equivalents of soap, underwear, umbrellas etc? What do we use instead?


Want to know more?

Learn about whale products here.

Learn about the end of whaling here.

Learn about the whaling trypot here.

Learn about Scrimshaw here.

Fremantle/Walyalup and the state of Western Australia has been shaped by the meeting and melding of many cultures over time. As in the past, Fremantle today remains a vital gateway to the state and is a hub for trade and tourism. International vessels laden with containers for import and export arrive daily, while cruise ships bring tourists to its shores. People from all corners of the world have made Western Australia their home, enriching the region with their diverse cultures, traditions, and cuisines. 

Western Australia proudly celebrates its multicultural connections—past, present, and future.

Thank you for exploring the WA Maritime Museum today!