Ceremony to reactivate time ball and gun at Fremantle Round House

27/3/98

Lands Minister Doug Shave will be part of an inauguration ceremony to reactivate a slice of Fremantle's history at the Round House.

The ceremony will mark the return to service of the time ball and time gun.

"Fremantle's original time ball structure was erected in 1900 and worked in tandem with the time gun, " Mr Shave said.

"Every day the ball was dropped at precisely 1 pm and the cannon would fire to provide ship's with an exact daily time check for their chronometers.

"This timing was critical to accurate navigation at sea and remained in place until the 1930's when radio telegraphy made the procedure obsolete.

"It is fitting that this history will be recreated through the impressive surroundings of the Round House, the State's oldest public building."

Mr Shave said he was sure the time ball and gun would continue to draw more tourists to Fremantle, and the Round House in particular.

The Minister also welcomed the introduction of the Fremantle Heritage Guides , a team of 50 volunteers who will continue the tradition of firing the cannon on a daily basis.

"Without their help and commitment to the preservation of heritage this project would not be possible, and I congratulate them for their dedication," he said.

"Fremantle Tourism Association's decision to reactivate the time ball and gun reflects its resourceful nature and will reinforce the city's reputation as a quality cultural tourism destination.

"It is also particularly pleasing to see the partnership between the association and the WA Tourism Commission, which was put in place some 12 months ago, is working well."

The commission provided some seed funding for the project. Mr Shave also acknowledged the project's private sector sponsors for their assistance.

Media contact: Anabel Gomez 9366 0300, 9222 9595