Round House, Perth, Guía del visitante y qué hacer cerca

The Round House is the oldest surviving public building in Western Australia, a twelve-sided limestone gaol on Arthur Head in Fremantle, in the Perth area. Built in 1830 and 1831, it was the first gaol of the young Swan River colony, and its story reaches from early settlement to the harder history of Aboriginal imprisonment.

The story behind it

Despite the name, the Round House is neither a house nor truly round: it has twelve sides. It was designed by Henry Willey Reveley and finished in 1830 to 1831, about twenty years before convicts began to arrive in the colony. It served as the colony's first gaol, a place to confine those the new settlement wanted locked away.

When the larger Fremantle Prison was completed in the 1850s, the Round House became a police lock-up and stayed in use until around 1900. It also held Aboriginal prisoners who were being sent to Wadjemup (Rottnest Island), where many died far from their country. Many of the people held here were frightened and are unnamed in the records, which is worth remembering as you stand at the door.

What to look for

• The twelve-sided shape of the building, which you can only appreciate by walking right around it.
• The thick limestone walls and small openings, which show how the place was meant to hold people in.
• The view from Arthur Head over the harbour and the town, which explains why the site was chosen.
• The Whalers Tunnel running beneath the headland, close to the building, a reminder of how busy this working waterfront once was.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 45 minutes for the building and the headland, longer if you want to linger over the views.
• Check current opening hours and entry arrangements before you go, as they can change.
• Morning or late afternoon gives softer light on the stone and a cooler walk up the headland in summer.
• Fremantle's old port streets, markets and cafes are close by, so it pairs easily with a wander through the town on foot.

See it on a quest

The Haunting File: Perth - Ghosts that Built Fremantle passes the Round House as one stop on a longer walk through Fremantle. You reach it on foot, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, so you look closely at what is in front of you rather than just taking a photo. It suits anyone drawn to the darker, more haunted side of the town's past, and one ticket covers the whole group.