After working out I got ready and went to my Australian Studies class. We had a field trip today. We were to meet in Fremantle. So Anna and I left at 11 and took a 1 hour bus there. We arrived at noon and then ate some lunch. I brought a lunch, but Anna decided to go to a fish 'n chips shop and got squid rings. Just like onion rings but with squid inside. I didn't try one because I can't eat deep fried greasy stuff with out getting a nasty stomach ache. Guess what??? Neither can Anna. So poor Anna we feeling pretty ill for the next hour or so. We met the rest of our class at the designated spot. Out teacher showed up about 20 minutes late. That is normal for here (I should have known).
Fremantle is a port city. We walked around the harbor area and learned of its history. Things like the first settlers landed in 1830 and started a colony, convicts didn't arrive until 1850. The first things the settlers built were churches and gaols (jails). The first settlers brought all of their own animals (cow, duck, goats, sheep, chicken....etc), furniture and everything else to make it in a new land. They immediately cut back the vegetation, which was a bad idea. The first settlers were miserable because there was little water, and a lot of mosquitoes. They would land and camp out on the beach and bottleneck there until they were able to make their way up the Swan River towards more livable land conditions. Whaling was a big part of Fremantle history as well. They would go out in a very long boat with a ton of spears and catch a whale, and then cut it up right there on the boat. It made it easier to transport it once they got back to land.
The first jail was called the Round House (a circular jail), when convicts started coming over in 1850's the Round House filled up very quickly. So they had to build a new jail. This was known as the Fremantle Prison. This prison was use up until 1991. It is now closed and they give night tours of it! I have yet to go on a night tour but I would really like to. The Round House then became a police locker and eventually a place for settler families to live until they were able to build a house.
At the Round House there were stocks on display! Here is a picture of a girl in my class who was placed in the stocks.
Stocks were used for public humiliation. For an extra punishment they would nail the person's ears to the wooden board so they couldn't turn their head. People would get sent to the stocks for minor things like disorderly conduct, disobeying policemen, drunkenness or drinking during a church service.
There was also a cannon at the Round House. Yes it is real. It went goes off at 1:00pm everyday! It went off when we were on the beach right below it! Scared the daylights out of all of us.
We also walked around to the back of the Round House to see the famous Dunny (outhouse) that has made its way into tourist items like calendars and things.
As you can see it is about 25 feet above the edge of the sea. Back in the day there was not a fence around it either. I guess they did this so when a person was relieving themself they could have a nice view to look at. It was pointed out that it was a bit of a risk to use at night or when drunk, or both. Because then people would fall off of the cliff. It is hard to tell in the picture but there is about 3 feet from the front of the dunny to the edge of the cliff. It is no longer used now but a fence was placed up around it just in case.
We also learned about Rottnest Island. This is an island off the coast that can be seen from Fremantle. It is a very big tourist spot. It is absolutely beautiful too! Anyway, aboriginal artifacts have been discovered on the island from more than 6,000 years ago. There are even some artifacts beleived to be over 10,000 years old! But this beautiful historical island also had a dark side. It was once used as an indigenous jail. The aboriginies that were arrested were sent there. In the 1900's it was decided that it was too beautiful for a jail purpose and was changed over of recreational use. In WWI it was closed down and used as a POW camp. Now it is government owned and is a family tourist hot spot. It is a lot like the idea of Mackinaw Island for us.
So yeah I learned a lot today. We then took a 1 hour bus back and I started laundry and did some more studying for my econ test tomorrow. I was hoping to get some time in for work but that will just have to wait until tomorrow.
Oh yeah. On our way back to the bus station we walked passed a store that sold Birkenstocks!! I've never owned a pair before but everyone here wears them. They were having a huge sale! So I tried some one. I was motivated to buy some because I tripped when I was walking back from the Air Race on Sunday and broke one of my sandals. The Birkenstocks are SOOO comfy!!! So I bought a pair. They should do my feet quite well for the rest of the time here.
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