Freshwater | Harbord Diggers Club

It’s a rainy and windy day in Sydney and although the beaches of this stunning city are beckoning it’s just not practical to get the babes and kids out onto the sand. So how do you find a place that is good for both kids and parents and still smell the sea air?

One such place is the newly rebuilt Harbord Diggers in Freshwater, Sydney.

The Diggers club is a non-profit organisation that supports community by sponsoring local initiatives including sports clubs, social services, educational institutions and more. The “Diggers” were Australian returned servicemen who sought a place to meet in the local area and created the Club back in 1930. According to the Club’s website,

Week in and out members would meet at a precarious old hut by Freshwater beach. Billy teas were served to holiday makers and money raised went towards essentials for members in distress and their families.

As mentioned on the Instagram account recently, this is the bit that really pulls on the heartstrings it’s so beautiful.

And so, known for overcoming obstacles, they created a thriving venue to share a beer, have a chat and put the profits back into the community. Affectionally known at the time as the Dirty Diggers, this group had the vision to build a legacy that provided for the community; past, present and future.

And that legacy lives on. If you asked a local woman sitting next to you at lunch on a Friday you might hear comments like “…there’s a little corner for everyone”, and “…the old one had a good vibe and so does this one”.

The ethical foundation of this beautiful space is also reflected in their newly reinforced sustainability intitiatve, which you can read more about here.

There are several offerings for adults and kids throughout the place in the food department. My favourite was the relatively inexpensive kids salmon and vegetables from the bistro (being a gluten-reduced and small meal fan).

 

The outdoor play area which has panoramic ocean views from the couches beyond the giant sliding glass doors is great for kids to run around in. There is also an indoor play area which – albeit hectic and packed on a weekend – is great fun for ages 2-8 years. Plus do not miss the interactive fish tank screens near the main entrance, I’ll bet your smalls won’t walk past it without a moment of curiosity.

On the whole I’d say that the Diggers feels more like a Bali day club than a local club and charitable organisation. There really is something for everyone. Potentially the local tradesmen that drank cheaply here for years may not be too pleased, but perhaps it reflects the new world of ‘woke mammas’ and family driven change in this corner of Sydney.  I’m in full support of the initiative being taken to make this place accessible to all and visually beautiful in the process. And the fact that they are making money for the people of the area and carrying on a long legacy of love and support in this community makes it all the more worthy of our support. I’ll certainly be back for a play and a feed.

Curl Curl Freshwater Sydney Family Fun

If you’re visiting Sydney you can catch a ferry across to Manly and then it’s just a short bus ride up to the Diggers for lunch. There you’ll catch a glimpse of the wild and beautiful Curl Curl beach and can get on a boardwalk above the waves if you feel like a stroll over the sea.

Alena // Soul Mamma is a writer, educator, ethical digital creator and mum of three little darlings doing this compassionate care stuff in Freshwater near Sydney, Australia. You can join her and bumble through this parenting malarkey together with other lovely souls in the Soul Mamma Crew.