in 1871, the fremantle road district was created under the "district roads act 1871" to cover the area to the south and east of fremantle, and the fremantle road board was created to manage it. the original district was bounded on the north by the swan river from fremantle to the mouth of the canning river; on the east by a line from bull creek to the junction of what is now the intersection of the albany and south western highways in armadale; on the south by a line from armadale to, and including the rockingham townsite; and to the west by the indian ocean.