Freshwater Beach

Freshwater Beach is a stunning beach located in the suburb of Freshwater, New South Wales.

It is the first beach north of Manly, on the Peninsula. The beach attracts around 3,000 people on weekends and public holidays during the summer, making it popular with both locals and tourists. With its flanking headlands and excellent surf, it is a perfect spot for surfing enthusiasts or those who simply enjoy watching the waves. The beach is patrolled by lifeguards and has its own surf lifesaving club to ensure visitor safety.

The area now known as Freshwater was originally given to Thomas Bruin in 1818. It was named after a freshwater stream that ran between what are now Wyuna and Wyndora Avenues. The land remained largely uninhabited until the 1880s when it was subdivided and sold. The subdivision became known as Harbord, named after Margaret Cecilia Harbord, wife of governor Lord Carrington.

From the 1900s, Freshwater became a popular campsite for working-class men. Tents were eventually replaced by huts with names like "The Ritz" and "Shark Bait". Female visitors were only allowed on Sundays. After World War I, working-class families settled in the camps and built new dwellings and lodges. The camps were owned and operated by individuals like Mr Lewers, who built Harbord's oldest building in 1908. The area also had its own post office in 1909.

The Wormhole, now known as a tunnel linking Manly and Freshwater beaches, was created by the owners of some of the Freshwater camps. They built a cave and a walkway that is still in use today