Stranger’s kind act after broken record player left on Sydney street

After leaving a broken record player outside her house, one Sydney woman was “overwhelmed” by what happened next.

The streets of Leichhardt in Sydney’s inner west turn into a treasure trove when council clean-up rolls around.

Local Freya de Wilde-Barr thought she had struck gold when she stumbled across a man putting his old record player out on the street.

“He said he got it for his 18th birthday and he was turning 60 this year,” the 27-year-old told news.com.au.

He told her he wasn’t sure if it worked but she picked it up and walked the 15 minutes home.

Ms de Wilde-Barr was “sad to find out it didn’t work” but held onto it for a few weeks as she “couldn’t bear the thought” of putting it out again as hard rubbish.

Eventually, she put it on the front wall of her house on Saturday morning with a note on it, saying: “I don’t work at the moment, please take me home and fix me.”

But what happened next was entirely unexpected.

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The record player. Picture: Supplied/Freya de Wilde-Barr

On Saturday night, while walking a friend to the door after dinner, she found the record player sitting on the front step.

A new note was attached, reading: “I’m all fixed now :) (It’s fun to tinker).”

Inside, the “tinkerer” had also left her a record – Joe Turner’s Stride by Stride.

Joe Turner's Stride By Stride record. Picture: Freya de Wilde-Barr

“We both just kind of squealed and said how exciting it was,” she told news.com.au.

“I was just so happy and so overwhelmed.

“It was such a touching, kind, generous thing to have done and I’d had a really long week and it was just such a lovely surprise.

“It almost felt like it was happening in a movie. I was just so grateful that they’d taken the time to do something I couldn’t do and give it back to me.”

Ms de Wilde-Barr said it made her feel “extremely glad to live in Leichhardt”.

She has a large collection of records, including many of her mum’s from the ’60s and ’70s, and the return of the record player has meant being able to listen to them all again.

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Ms de Wilde-Barr said she was overwhelmed. Picture: Freya de Wilde-Barr

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She wrote about the kind act on the Leichhardt Community Group on Facebook, attracting hundreds of likes from inner west locals.

“If that person is on here thank you so, so much, you really made my week!” she wrote.

The post has been flooded with comments about the work of Mr or Ms Fix It.

“I love hearing about gestures like this. What a kind person, whoever you are!!” one person said.

Others said it was a reminder there are “wonderful people in the world”.

“That is the sweetest thing to do. Wow! What a beautiful heart that person has.”

Another wrote: “That is soooo gorgeous!!! What a wonderful person. Good things happen to good people.”

And one person asked the question we all want the answer to: “Love this!!! Reveal yourself!”

“No one has come forward,” Ms de Wilde-Barr told news.com.au.

“Thank you and I really appreciate it.”