As anyone who's ever been to Fremantle knows very well, it's a charming old place. You can really feel the history there. The atmosphere is strongest in the town centre, where there are many old buildings that have been well preserved.

The other characteristic of Freo is that it's a haven of tolerance, and there are lots of greenies, hippies and New Agers living there. I find this quite incongruous because the age and history of the place evoke a strong, staid and Christian tradition.

Not so long ago I saw a good illustration of this disconnect. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday and I took this snap of the Fremantle Town Hall. As you can see it's a magnificent old building that was completed way back in 1887.



I noticed the purple banner over the entrance and had a closer look. It turned out that the building was the venue for the Fremantle Psychic Fair. Inside, people were having their palms read and their futures told by clairvoyants.

Considering that the hall's architects and builders were almost certainly God fearing Christians I couldn't help wondering what they would have made of this were they alive today.