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The description of the development of Fremantle from landing place to a major international port is home territory for the maritime historian. It embraces all the technical, social and economic factors experienced by major ports the world over, with the rapid changes in ship design and tonnage and in cargo-handling techniques required to deal with bulk, container, tanker and other specialized carriers. Increases in draught required port deepening and the use of adjacent deepwater areas. In the case of Fremantle this is illustrated by the demolition in 1897 of the rock bar at the mouth of the Swan River, which allowed the inner harbour to be expanded while the appearance of bulk carriers led to the creation of an "outer harbour" some kilometres distant. There are many visual reminders of the past in Fremantle, once mainly known as the gateway to Australia, the result of the dedication of many citizens who worked to protect its historic buildings from demolition. Today the port has more preserved colonial buildings than any other Australian city. The book is well illustrated with both modern and archival photographs and has a very helpful map of the port area. Voices from the West End is a successful multi-dimensional picture of a major international seaport from its infancy to the present. Given its strategic location on the edge of the Indian Ocean, Fremantle will surely benefit from the expanding economies of India and Southeast Asia. The book is highly recommended.

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