Fremantle is a port city in Western Australia, located 19 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of Perth, the state capital, at the mouth of the Swan River on Australia's western coast. The city contains well-preserved 19th-century buildings and other heritage features. Known for its maritime history, Victorian architecture and remnants from Australia's days as a British penal colony, it was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829.