3-021-071 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Bridge at North Fremantle, Western Australia, 1868. 'The bridge across the river Swan, near the port of Fremantle, in Western Australia, and on the main line of road to Perth, the capital of the colony, has been erected entirely by convict labour, from the designs of Captain Grain, R.B, and Mr. James Manning, clerk of works...The bridge is 42 ft. high, offering no obstruction to the navigation of the river; and, with the approaches, it is 2078 ft. long. It is built of the jarrah timber of the colony...without the advantage of convict labour, it would have been an almost impossible undertaking for this colony. Transportation [of convicted criminals from Britain] commenced to Western Australia in 1850;...since that time 9246 convicts have been sent to that colony. Under the influence of transportation its population and resources have rapidly increased...The population has also increased from 5886 to 21,065. In accordance with the promise made by the home Government to the eastern colonies of Australia, transportation to Western Australia has now ceased. The last ship was dispatched towards the end of 1867; and transportation, as a means of disposing of criminals, is now at an end'. From "Illustrated London News", 1868.