Charles Fremantle was a British naval officer born in 1800. He is best known for his role in the establishment of the Swan River Colony in present-day Australia. In 1829, he led an expedition to claim the territory for the British Crown, which marked the beginning of European settlement in the region. Fremantle served as the first governor of the Swan River Colony, where he worked to develop the area and manage relations with the Indigenous peoples. His leadership helped shape the early years of the colony, which would later grow into the city of Perth. He returned to England in 1831 and continued his naval career until his death in 1860.