Preserving a community's sporting heritage through local government recreation planning

Abstract

Fremantle City Council (FCC) is a local government authority located in Fremantle, a historically significant part of south-west Australia. One of the FCC's major functions is to plan for the future of the area, including responding to the recreation and sporting needs of the Fremantle community.The FCC completed a five-year recreation policy and strategy in December 2000, with the finished document identifying and addressing a number of themes, issues and problems about recreation and sport important to the Fremantle community. Following a process of community consultation the final document provides a pragmatic and applied approach to meeting the recreation and sporting needs of the community.A notable theme to emerge during the gathering of information centred round Fremantle's extensive sporting heritage and the strong desire for the FCC to support and enhance this legacy. Sport gave the port city its early identity, engendering community spirit and friendly but serious rivalry between it and other neighbouring communities. However, the prominence of sport in the Fremantle community has somewhat lessened in recent times due to a variety of reasons. The city is now recognised more for its cultural festivals, its artistic endeavours from both community and professional artisans, its beaches and the South Terrace cappuccino strip.Through its recreation policy and strategy, the FCC has been able to respond to the problem in a variety of ways. Initiatives identified include a sporting heritage museum, an oral history of sport to be linked closely to Fremantle's social history, continued support for the Fremantle Sporting Wall of Fame project and improvements to the FCC's current level of support for sport, particularly at the junior level.