Freshwater, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Freshwater Sydney, New South Wales
Freshwater Beach
Population	8,866 (2016 census)
• Density	4,930/km2 (12,800/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2096
Elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Area	1.8 km2 (0.7 sq mi)
Location	17 km (11 mi) north-east of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Northern Beaches Council
State electorate(s)	Manly
Federal Division(s)	Warringah
Suburbs around Freshwater: Brookvale Curl Curl North Manly Freshwater Tasman Sea Manly Queenscliff

Freshwater is a cool suburb in northern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 17 kilometers north-east of the main city center. Freshwater is part of the Northern Beaches area and is looked after by the Northern Beaches Council.

History of Freshwater

First Peoples of the Land

Long ago, the land where Freshwater is now was home to Aboriginal people. Two groups, the Garigal people from the north and the Gayamaygal people from the south, used to fish and live here. You can still find signs of their lives today, like indigenous Australian art in rock engravings, old campsites, and rock shelters.

European Settlement

The first piece of land given to a European settler in this area was to Thomas Bruin in 1815. It was a 50-acre block right across from the beach. Later, in 1884, a company called Manly Land Company divided this land and called it the Freshwater Estate.

In 1886, another area was surveyed and called Harbord Estate. This land was split into two parts, north and south of what is now Manly Lagoon. It was put up for sale in August 1886.

How Freshwater Got Its Name

The Harbord Estate was named after Lady Cecilia Margaret Harbord. She was the wife of the New South Wales Governor, Lord Carrington.

For many years, the beach and the area behind it were known as Freshwater. This name probably came from a small stream of fresh water that flowed down to the beach. But after the Harbord Estate was named, some people wanted to change the suburb's name to Harbord. They thought it sounded more fancy.

This idea caused a lot of arguments! When the first local school was built in 1912, people asked for it to be called Harbord Public School. But the government said no, and it officially opened as Freshwater Public School.

However, the people who wanted the name change kept trying. Finally, the Postmaster-General agreed, and on September 1, 1923, Freshwater officially became Harbord.

The Freshwater Bay Post Office opened in 1909 and was renamed Freshwater in 1912.

Years later, in 2003, people wanted to change the name back to Freshwater. A survey was done, and most people voted to change it back. So, on January 12, 2008, the suburb of Harbord was officially renamed Freshwater again!

Local Government

Freshwater is part of the Northern Beaches Council. This happened on May 12, 2016, when the Manly, Pittwater, and Warringah Councils joined together to form one big council.

Australian Home of Surfing

Freshwater Beach is famous for being a very important place in Australian surfing history!

In December 1914, Duke Kahanamoku, a famous swimmer from Hawaii, visited Australia. He made a surfboard from local timber, just like the ones used in Hawaii. On December 24, he showed everyone how to ride waves on a surfboard at Freshwater Beach. This was one of the first times anyone had surfed in Australia using the Hawaiian style. The first known surfer in this style was Tommy Walker, who rode a board at Freshwater in 1912.

A re-enactment of Duke Kahanamoku's visit and a copy of his surfboard from 2015.

Duke's demonstration was so popular that he did another one in January 1915 at Dee Why beach. He even took a young local girl named Isabel Letham on the board with him! Isabel later became a very important person in Australian surfing.

Duke's original surfboard has been kept at the Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club since 1952. You can also find a statue of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku on the headland at Freshwater, honoring his contribution to surfing.

In 2012, the local council and the Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club made a special agreement with Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii. This celebrated the historic connection between the two places because of Duke Kahanamoku and his surfing demonstration.

Population Information

At the 2016 census, there were 8,866 people living in Freshwater. Most people (66.3%) were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included England (8.9%), New Zealand (2.7%), and Brazil (1.3%).

Most people (82.3%) spoke only English at home. Some other languages spoken included Portuguese (1.5%) and Italian (1.3%). When it came to religion, many people said they had no religion (38.5%), while others were Catholic (25.2%) or Anglican (15.5%).

The average weekly income for households in Freshwater was $2,268, which was higher than the national average. About half of the homes were apartments (51.0%), and 44.3% were separate houses.

Schools in Freshwater

Freshwater has two primary schools for kids from kindergarten to year 6:

• Harbord Public School, which started in 1912.
• St John the Baptist Catholic School.

For older students (years 11 and 12), there's Freshwater Senior Campus in the nearby suburb of Curl Curl. It's part of the Northern Beaches Secondary College.

Famous Places and Landmarks

Freshwater Beach is a beautiful beach located between Curl Curl and Queenscliff. You can walk along the coast from Manly to Curl Curl Beach and pass Freshwater Beach.

The Harbord Beach Hotel, which opened in 1928, is a well-known spot just 200 meters from the beach. Locals sometimes call it the "Harbord Hilton."

There's also the Harbord Diggers club, which used to have bowling greens and ocean views. It has recently been redeveloped into a modern complex with homes for older people and a club underneath.

Twin City

Freshwater has a special connection with:

• Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States