Freshwater is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Freshwater is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Warringah Council and is part of the Northern Beaches region. Freshwater was known as Harbord from 1923 until 2008.
The area was once home to the Kuring-gai people and evidence of their habitation remains today in the form of rock engravings, open campsites, and rock shelters.
The first Crown grant of land in the area was to Thomas Bruin on 27 September 1815, and consisted of directly opposite the beach. The Manly Land Company subdivided and named the property Freshwater Estate in December 1884.
In 1886 W M Gordon surveyed the subdivision named Harbord Estate. The land, divided into two sections, north and south of Curl Curl Lagoon (now named Manly Lagoon) was offered for sale in August 1886.
The Harbord Estate was named to honour the wife of New South Wales Governor Lord Carrington (Robert Wynn Carrington) (1885–1990). Before her marriage, Lady Carrington was the Honourable Cecilia Margaret Harbord.