The WA Maritime Museum has been announced as the winner of the Interpretation Project category at the 2022 WA Heritage Award for its Fremantle Then and Now: Historical Panoramas exhibition.

Led by WA Museum, in collaboration with Curtin University Hub for Immersive Visualisation and eResearch (HIVE), the exhibition uses 20 panoramas and digital projection technologies to explore 155 years of Walyalup Fremantle history.

Fremantle Then and Now contextualises recent research previously only viewable at Curtin HIVE research facility enabling public access to panoramas from the collections of the State Library WA, the City of Fremantle and the National Library of Australia. The exhibition explores Walyalup Fremantle’s deep history and the dramatic changes that followed the arrival of Europeans. The exhibition includes guided tours and touch-screen kiosks that allow visitors to explore the high-resolution imagery.  

The ‘hub’ within the exhibition, includes music from local bands, information-relevant books, and large projections and asks visitors to write down what they love about Fremantle on its ‘LOVE FREO’ wall.

WA Museum CEO Alec Coles accepted the award alongside Associate Professor Andrew Woods from Curtin University on Friday, 25 November, at the award night.

“WA Maritime Museum is honoured to have been awarded the Interpretation Project Award at the 30th Western Australian Heritage Awards for its Fremantle Then and Now: Historical Panoramas exhibition," he said,

“On behalf of the WA Museum, I would like to thank Curtin HIVE, State Library WA, City of Fremantle and the National Library of Australia for their involvement in this collaborative and fascinating project.”

The award-winning exhibition is on display until Sunday, 19 February 2023, from 9.30 am to 5 pm.