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South Fremantle is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Fremantle. Its postcode is 6162.

The first development in the area may have been when Richard Goldsmith Meares who established a lime burning kiln in 1831. Meares had arrived at the Swan River Colony with Thomas Peel in the previous year.^[1]

As the area was adjacent to the relatively safe harbour of Owen's Anchorage in Cockburn Sound, the area began to be used as an alternative destination point for ship arrivals.

In the late 1890s, a railway was built from Fremantle to Robb's Jetty. At that time, the Robb's Jetty Abattoir was built for slaughter of livestock arriving from the north-west of the state including the Kimberley Region. Livestock were unloaded from from the ships onto a jetty. Extensive pasturing for the animals as well as small market gardens were established in the region around the abattoir.

The Coogee Hotel was built in 1901 and in 1903 the railway was extended to Woodman Point. Commercial lime kilns were established during this period to provide for the construction boom and population growth which had been brought about by gold discoveries.

The area steadily became the centre of much of Perth's heavy industry and comprised the coal fired power station, railway marshalling yards, abattoir as well as numerous skin drying sheds. From the 1980s however, pressures brought on by demands for residential housing began a process of removal of the various facilities.

Robb Jetty Marshalling Yards

A large WAGR marshalling yard with signal box tower built in the 1960s during the standard gauge railway line project from Kalgoorlie to Leighton

The yard was decommissioned in the Westrail era in the 1990s.

Robb's Jetty Abattoir

Closed in 1987. The chimney is the only remaining part of the large complex of buildings which included offices, holding yards, freezer and chiller facilities. The chimney is listed in the State Register of Heritage Places.^[2]

Power Station

In September 1985, the South Fremantle Power Station closed after 34 years service.

1. ^ Assesment documentation - Three Lime Kilns, Cockburn. Heritage Council of Western Australia.
2. ^ Assesment documentation - Robb's Jetty chimney. Heritage Council of Western Australia.