Fremantle Shopping

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The Markets in Fremantle are open Friday 9am - 9pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm, Sunday 10am - 5pm. Monday Public Holidays 10am - 5pm.
It's a delightful place to wander around even if you don't intend to buy anything. There's loads and loads of hand made items of all types, eg. silver jewellry set with local gemstones, original design clothes, paintings, pottery, trinkets, toys, candles, local souveniers etc. You will also find antiques, sheepskin and leather goods, fresh baked bread cakes and pastries, coffee ground to order, gourmet take-away food stalls, and a pub.
There's always buskers and a lively atmosphere.
The markets are usually referred to in the plural, as the fruit and vegetable market is right next door. Also a local fresh fish/shell fish shop which has it's supplies straight from the fishing boats.
It also sells fish and chips.

What to buy: The markets are perfect for gift shopping.

Fremantle sardines are lovely. They are much larger than tined sardines. Available from the market shop, and in some restaurants, usually filleted and fried in breadcrumbs.

What to pay: Prices range enormously depending on what you buy.

This is just a small shopping centre with a Coles Supermarket, a few of chain stores, a café, pharmacy, newsagent etc. The Woolstores have a 2 hour carpark for $2.00. This used to be free. The Woolstores are almost opposite the train station in Fremantle.

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This is one of those shops which sells a variety of spices by the bag ie. you can get a scoop and take as much as you like. The shop also sells a variety of dried fruit, pulses and other gourmet food.

From the look of the E Shed Markets' website this place appears very lively during a nice day, perhaps during the weekend. When I visited it in May 2007 during the week it seemed pretty deserted although the stalls were open. There are lots of nice stalls, just like the Fremantle Markets, and you can buy the same sort of items - souvenirs and gifts, arts and crafts, clothes, etc. There is an international food court and an outdoor dining area.

Opening days/times are Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: from 9:00am to 5:30pm. The food court is open till 8:00pm

What to pay: Shopping at the markets is great for finding a big selection of gifts and souvenirs under one roof, and not exactly for the prices, which probably aren't that much cheaper than in the shops.

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At the E Shed Markets you will find all sorts of goodies including opals and gems, Aussie souvenirs like didgeridoos, bush hats and handcrafted jarrah furniture.

There's heaps of local arts and crafts, sheepskins, perfumes and locally designed medieval fashions.

General markets:
Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm
Saturday 9:00am to 5:30pm
Sunday 9:00am to 5:30pm

Food court open till 8:00pm

E Shed Markets also open on all public holidays from 9:00am to 5:30pm

What to buy: Make sure you know the price of the thing that catch your eye or end end up paying "tourist" prices.

So shop around but enjoy the atmosphere of the markets.

I guess the Fremantle Markets are special because apart from the mixture of arts, crafts, clothing and food you can find, the building itself has lots of character. It was built in 1897 and was one of the buildings which was restored to its former glory.

The Fremantle Markets are high on the tourist Must See list so check out the opening times/days to make sure you visit on a day that the Markets are open, otherwise you will be disappointed! The Markets don't open on Monday (unless it's a public holiday) to Thursday.

OPENING TIMES:
Fridays 9am - 9pm
Saturdays 9am - 5pm
Sundays 10am - 5pm
Monday public holidays 10am - 5pm

The website link below gives you tons more info. as well as a map which shows you where each stall is situated in the Markets.

What to buy: You'll find everything at the Markets - there are over 150 stalls selling fresh fish, fruit and vegetables; pottery, Australian crafts, sheepskin, leather goods, opals clothing such as painted T-shirts, jewellery, antiques, etc.

What to pay: Prices in Fremantle tend to be similar to those in the city centre of Perth. I don't think they are much cheaper in the Fremantle Markets.

Creative Native stocks a wide range of authentic aboriginal arts and crafts. I visited the shop twice and spent a long time there looking through the beautiful aboriginal paintings, digeridoos and souvenirs. Everything is very well displayed and it's worth a visit even if you're not thinking of shopping.

What to buy: I bought most of my souvenirs from here. Amongst other things, I chose an umbrella and tie with Aboriginal designs. I also bought keychains and a beautiful boomerang which did come back :-)

What to pay: A little more than average.

The name Kailis is synonymous with the pearling industry in Western Australia and their Fremantle shop is the place to see their beautiful pearls in a welcoming and elegant setting. The staff here are lovely and are always very happy to welcome browsers and shoppers alike. They'll not only show you the stunning jewellery here but also a short video about pearl production and to talk to you about all aspects of pearls and their care.

What to buy: South Sea pearls, as Australian pearls are known, are the most beautiful and lustrous pearls in the world. A perfect strand will cost a king's ransom, but you can own something lovely for far less. You can buy a single large, perfect pearl to wear on its own at a price that starts around A$1000 but there are many small pieces made from both seeded and natural (keshi) pearls that cost hundreds rather than thousands of dollars. Alternatively, you could buy a butter knife or little spoon carved from pearl shell. These make super presents and really unique souvenirs - you may even find one that has a tiny, nascent pearl forming under the shimmering mother of pearl. There are cards of real mother-of-pearl buttons for even less, so anyone can own a little piece of these most romantic treasure from the deep.

What to pay: $10 - $100,000+++