Fremantle has been a significant port for nearly two hundred years, and a comprehensive list of all ships that have called here is probably impossible. This page aims to be an index to those that are important or about which we have useful information. It is organised by year of first arrival in Fremantle (this should probably be changed so that the chronology is in the timeline pages, and this becomes an alphabetical listing).
1629
Batavia, in the WA Museum's online 'book'.
1826
The brig Amity brought Major Lockyer to Frederickstown (Albany).
1827
HMS Success, Captain Stirling's ship, arrived in 1827.
1829
1829: Hitchcock's list of all 21 ship arrivals ([[../hitchcock.html|Hitchcock]]: 15)
HMS Challenger, [[../people/fremantlecharles.html|Capt Fremantle]]'s ship, arrived 25 April 1829, from Cape, to 'claim' the territory.
The barque Parmelia, arriving in Gage Roads 2 June 1829, from England, brought Lieutenant-Governor Stirling and government officials and their families to the Colony.
HMS Sulphur, arriving 8 June 1829, from England, brought the 63rd regiment under the command of [[../people/irwin.html|Frederick Chidley Irwin]]. The ship's commander was [[../people/dance.html|William Dance]] (tho the master was John Perriam). His lieutenant was [[../people/prestonwilliam.html|William Preston]], and the surgeon was [[../people/collie.html|Alexander Collie]].
Calista arrived 5 August 1829, from England, bringing the first colonial settlers, including [[../people/samsonlionel.html|Lionel Samson]] and [[../people/scott.html|Daniel Scott.]]
Saint Leonard arrived 6 August 1829, from Cape Town, bringing passenger Charles Wright.
Marquis of Anglesea arrived 23 August 1829 from England with 104 passengers, and was wrecked 4 September on Anglesea Point (between tiny [[../streets/bathers.html|Bathers Bay]] and large South Bay, which no longer exists, having been 'reclaimed' for the Esplanade Park). The point at the other end of Bathers Bay, which also no longer exists, was named Point Marquis.
Thompson arrived 19 September 1829 from Sydney.
Amity arr. 22 September 1829, from North Coast, with passengers Samuel Nolbrow, [[../people/longthomas.html|Thomas Long]], John Wallgreen, Mathew Hargrave, Wm Edwards (+ Mrs).
Georgiana arr. 5 October 1829 from VDL with 40th Regt.
Lotus arr. 6 October 1829, from England, with a large number of passengers, most of whom were indentured to Colonel [[../people/latour.html|Peter Latour]]. They included [[../people/gallop.html|James Gallop]] and his brothers Edward and Richard, innkeeper [[../people/collinsrobert.html|Robert Collins]], publican [[../people/jonesrichard.html|Richard Jones]], [[../people/maxworthyrichard.html|Richard Maxworthy]], [[../people/shentonwk.html|William Kernot Shenton]], [[../islands/triggisland.html|Henry Trigg]].
Ephemina arr. 9 October 1829 from VDL, with passengers John Lord, Abraham Aaron, Johanna McCoomb.
Orelia arr. 12 October 1829 from Hobart with a number of passengers, incl. Richard James.
Caroline arrived 12 October 1829, from London, bringing three Henty brothers, [[../people/stone.html|Alfred Stone]], [[../people/mackie.html|William Mackie]], and the Bashfords, [[../people/pettitt.html|Pettitt]] ancestors.
Cumberland arr. 12 October 1829, passengers incl. John Lawrance Morley.
Governor Philip arr. 17 October 1829 bound for King George's Sound, with Captain Barker, Dr Wilson, 19 of the 39th Rgt. and 27 convict passengers.
Atwick arr. 19 October 1829 with a large number of passengers incl. Thomas Bannister, Luke Leake (+ wife, daughter), Lt. Wm Trimmer, Richard Wardell, Dr John Whatley.
Admiral Gifford arr. 21 October 1829
Lion (Lyon) arr. 11 November 1829
Dragon arr. 14 November 1829
HMS Success arr. 28 November 1829
Gilmore, under the command of [[../people/geary.html|W.H. Geary]], arrived 15 December, with [[../people/peel.html|Thomas Peel]] and settlers; his other two ships were the Rockingham and the Hooghly. The Rockingham was wrecked.
1830
1830 ship arrivals ([[../hitchcock.html|Hitchcock]]: 16-17)
Norfolk arr. 9 January 1830, with detachment of the 30th Rgt.
Nancy arr. 15 January 1830, with 68 passengers.
Leda arr. 15 January 1830, with 3 passengers.
Skerne arr. 17 January 1830, with 12 passengers.
HMS Cruizer arr. 17 January 1830.
Minstrel [or Minstrell] arr. 20 January 1830, with 46 passengers.
Parmelia arr. 20 January 1830, from Java.
Industry arr. 20 January 1830. Peel ship.
Eagle arr. 25 January 1830, with 19 passengers. Damaged and refloated.
Lady of the Lake arr. 28 January 1830, with 6 passengers.
Wanstead arr. 30 January 1830, with 88 passengers inc. [[../people/wittenoom.html|J.B. Wittenoom]], Wm [[../people/milligan.html|Milligan]].
Tranby ' arr. 30 January 1830 (3 Feb?), with 39 passengers, incl. Messrs. M. and J. S. Clarkson, Messrs. John and William Hardey, Mr. Joseph Hardey, Mrs. John and Mrs. Joseph Hardey, Mr. G. Johnson, jun., Mr. T. C. Brownell Surgeon, and Mrs. Brownell, in all upwards of forty persons. Mr. J. Leach, a respectable local preacher in the Wesleyan connexion, goes with them.
Hooghly arr. 12 February 1830, with 116 passengers.
Egyptian, master W. Lilburn, arr. 13 February 1830, with (69 or) 78 passengers, including Du Bois [[../people/agett.html|Agett]].
Thomson arr. 16 February 1830.
Thames arr. 16 February 1830, wrecked in South Bay, 22 May 1830.
Protector arr. 26 February 1830, with 64 passengers.
Warrior arr. 12 February 1830, with 106 passengers incl. [[../people/graham.html|William Temple Graham]], Capt John Molloy, Georgina Molloy.
Emily Tayor arr. 15 March 1830, with 5 passengers. Wrecked.
Prince Regent arr. 15 March 1830.
Emelia and Ellen arr. 18 March 1830, with 9 passengers. Damaged and refloated.
Bussorah Merchant arr. 31 March 1830, with 7 passengers.
James Pattison arr. 30 April 1830, with soldiers from India.
Brittania arr. 6 May 1830, with 38 passengers.
Bombay arr. 8 May 1830, with 16 passengers.
James arr. 8 May 1830, with 70 passengers. Wrecked
Eliza arr. 8 May 1830, with 3 passengers.
Rockingham arr. 14 May 1830, with 175 passengers.
Orelia arr. 19 May 1830.
William arr. 19 May 1830, with 8 passengers.
Medina, arr. 6 July 1830, brought 52 passengers including [[../people/bateman.html|John Bateman]]. Sunk.
Skerne, arr. 16 July 1830.
Edward Lambe arr. 24 August 1830, with 21 passengers.
HMS Comet arr. 24/6 August 1830.
Thistle arr. 22 September 1830, with 1 passenger.
Orelia arr. 12 November 1830, with 3 passengers.
Faith arr. 29 November 1830.
Cleopatra arr. 30 November 1830 with [[../people/mooregf.html|George Fletcher Moore]] and 4 servants.
Nimrod arr. 28 December 1830, with 1 passenger.
1831
Drummore arr. 1 February 1831, with many passengers, incl. the Tanner family and their entourage.
Cornwallis, master [[../people/hendersonhe.html|H.E. Henderson]], arr. 25 February 1831 from Cape Town, dep. 30 May.
Cornwallis, master [[../people/hendersonhe.html|H.E. Henderson]], arr. 24 November 1831 from Cape Town, dep. 26 January.
Egyptian, master W. Lilburn, arr. 28 December 1831, with 65 passengers including [[../people/lloydjames.html|James Lloyd]]. Berryman writes that there is no passenger list extant for this voyage.
1832
Cornwallis, master [[../people/hendersonhe.html|H.E. Henderson]], arr. 14 May 1832 from VDL.
1833
Cornwallis, master Henderson, arr. Jun/July 1833 from Cape Town.
1834
Quebec Trader, master Bellamy, arr. 19 April 1834 from London/Cape of Good Hope, bringing members of the Peel family and [[../people/hendersonhe.html|H.E. Henderson.]]
1836
Addingham arr. 26 June, bringing [[../people/waldeckfrederick.html|Frederick Waldeck]] and family
1839
Brothers arr. 1 January, bringing Governor Hutt.
1841
Parkfield arr. 18 March 1841, bringing the [[../people/clifton.html|Clifton]] family and Australind settlers
1842
Diadem arr. 1842, bringing the [[../people/teede.html|Teede]] family
1849
Mary arr. 20 October 1849, the first of the 'bride ships'.
1850 and later
Scindian brought the first convicts to Fremantle, 1 June 1850, and [[../people/henderson.html|Edmund Henderson]].
Hashemy was the second ship to bring (100) convicts, 25 October 1850. Also aboard were 32 enrolled pensioners ([[../organisations/pensioners.html|EPF]]) and their families.
Mermaid was the third, 1851, bringing 208 convicts and 29 EPF and their families.
Pyrenees arr. 28 June 1851 landing 293 transportees, as the fourth convict transport. She returned 3 April 1853 with another such cargo: another 293 convicts landed (3 died en route). Note the coincidence of the exact same number of transportees embarked and lost, according to the DPS page: is there a confusion of the two trips?
Minden arr. 14 October 1851, with 40 EPF and 301 transportees, one having died en route. It was the fifth convict transport.
On the Anna Robertson in December 1851 arrived [[../people/wrayhenry.html|Henry Wray]] RE, and [[../people/ducane.html|Edmund DuCane]] RE, together with 65 Sappers and Miners (Royal Engineers), William Ayshford Sanford, Colonial Secretary and designer of the [[../schools/boysschool.html|Boys School]] (1855), RC Bishop Brady, and Rev Dr Coyle, Surgeon.
Marion, arriving 30 January 1852 as the sixth convict ship, brought 37 convicts and Lt Wm Crossman RE.
The Eglinton was wrecked 3 September 1852 'about 30 miles up the coast' (DuCane). See [[../authors/hasluckalexandra.html|Alexandra Hasluck]] 1973 (the DuCane bio): 45-47.
The Nile in 1858 brought more convicts, sappers, warders, and the first Bishop of Perth, [[../people/hale.html|Mathew Blagden Hale]].
The Edwin Fox arrived 21 November 1858, bringing convicts, including [[../people/capewelljohn.html|John Capewell]].
The first of the [[../people/burt.html|Burt]]s, Archibald Paull, arrived in 1861 on the Hastings.
Racehorse arr. 1865.
The frigate Hougoumont brought the last convicts - and some 60 political prisoners, [[../organisations/fenians.html|Fenians]] - arriving 9 (Hitchcock has 10) January 1867.
Captain [[../people/wardfrank.html|Francis Ward]]'s barque Caroline Hutchings was the first ship to tie up at the [[../jetties/index.html|Long Jetty]], perhaps in 1873, when the jetty was completed. The ship was wrecked and lost on the shores of Formosa (now Taiwan) in 1874.
1875. Rathe, Gustave 1990, The Wreck of the Barque Stefano off the North West Cape of Australia in 1875, Farrar Straus & Giroux.
The whaler Catalpa was used in the escape of six [[../organisations/fenians.html|Fenians]] in 1876.
The SS Georgette unsuccessfully attempted to stop the escape of Fenians in the Catalpa in 1876.
Birkdale, a large, steel, three-masted, steam-powered barque built in 1892, visited Fremantle in 1897. [[../buildings/birkdalehouse.html|Birkdale House]], at the top of Solomon Street opposite the Monument, is said to have been named after the ship.
SS Sultan was the first steamship to enter the new Harbour, 4 May 1897.
City of York was wrecked on Rottnest Island 12 July 1899.
Carlisle Castle was wrecked off Penguin Island in the same storm 11 July 1899.
1912. The tugboat Wyola arrives at Fremantle to begin service with the Swan River Shipping Company. It gave its name to the [[../clubs/wyola.html|Wyola Club]], 1946. There is also a Wyola Lane in South Fremantle, named after the tugboat. There is a small town in Western Australia called Wyola, so it's possible the boat was named after that. (Thanks for Pam Harris for finding that.)
SS Lygnern was wrecked off South Mole in 1928.
References and Links
Berryman, Ian 1979 ed., A Colony Detailed: The First Census of Western Australia 1832, Creative Research, Perth.
Enrolled Pensioner Force WA website.
WAGS 1829 ship arrivals—on the Family History WA website, which has passenger lists, etc.
[[../ships/shipsepf.html|Ships]] that brought members of the [[../organisations/pensioners.html|Enrolled Pensioner Force]].
Ships that brought [[../organisations/convicts.html|convicts]].
[[../people/oldmandiane.html|Diane Oldman]]'s 'Royal Sappers and Miners in WA' site has a list of thirteen ships, with exhaustive [1]pages for many ships which brought army engineers to the Colony 1850-1862 - or took them away.
Diane Oldman's Crimean War Veterans in WA site contains similar pages for convict ships which brought vets, 1856-1877. But in this case, no convicts were taken away again.
Diane Oldman's third website, for Redcoat Settlers in WA 1826-1869 also has a growing number of pages for relevant ships.
[[../people/hitchcock.html|Hitchcock]], JK 1929, [[../hitchcock.html|The History of Fremantle]], The Front Gate of Australia 1829-1929, FCC.
Erickson's list of convict ships, from her [[../books/erickson.html|Dictionary of Western Australians]], 1979.
Erickson's list of immigrant ships, from her [[../books/erickson.html|Dictionary of Western Australians]], 1979.
Swan River Pioneers Shipping Arrivals.
Tyne Tugs website - for the Wyola.
See also: [[../slipways/index.html|slipways]].
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 16 January, 2015 and hosted at freotopia.org/ships/index.html (it was last updated on 14 March, 2024), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.