SlipwaysCollection Highlights | Updated 1 decade ago Slipways at Fremantle Image copyright of West Australian Newspapers The Maritime History Department manages the slipway constructed at the mouth of the Swan River. This slipway was a necessity for the development of the Port of Fremantle, and was particularly vital to service allied ships, submarines and support vessels during World War II. The image shows the confiscated Chinese merchantman, Chungking, on the slip in 1942. After the war and until 2000, this slipway serviced a variety of local and visiting merchant and naval vessels before Henderson based shipyards, south of Fremantle, built slipways over 2,000 tons. Maritime History - introduction