Ultimo, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ultimo Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney Institute of TAFE, Harris Street
Ultimo Location in Sydney
Postcode(s)	2007
Elevation	26 m (85 ft)
Area	0.6 km2 (0.2 sq mi)
Location	2 km (1 mi) from Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	City of Sydney
State electorate(s)	Balmain Sydney
Federal Division(s)	Sydney
Suburbs around Ultimo: Glebe Pyrmont Sydney CBD Glebe Ultimo Haymarket Camperdown Chippendale Haymarket

Ultimo is a lively inner-city suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's right next to Sydney's main city area, near Darling Harbour. Ultimo is surrounded by other suburbs like Pyrmont to the north and Glebe to the west.

This suburb is known as a top spot for technology, media, and new startup businesses in Sydney. It's home to major universities and colleges. These include the University of Technology Sydney, TAFE NSW Ultimo, and JMC Academy. Ultimo has the most startups of any place in Australia. It's a key part of the NSW Government's "Tech Central" area. The national non-profit group, Sydney School of Entrepreneurship, also has its main office here.

The area called Broadway is a road that forms part of the border for Ultimo. It also touches Chippendale and Glebe.

Ultimo's Past: How It Began

The name "Ultimo" comes from a large piece of land. This land was given to Dr John Harris in 1803. He received it from Governor King for his service. The name "Ultimo" came from a mistake in a legal document. A court case against Harris had a date error. His offense was listed as "ultimo" (meaning "last month") instead of "instant" (meaning "this month"). Harris Street is named after him.

The land stayed as farms for the Harris family for many years. In 1859, it was divided into smaller plots. Most of the streets you see today were planned then. Harris's family members built the first homes in the area.

Farmers and Graziers warehouse, a building from the early 1900s

More houses were built quickly in the 1880s. By 1891, nearly 20,000 people lived in the Pyrmont-Ultimo area. The population grew to about 30,000 by 1900. But then, factories, quarries, and power stations were built. This led to many houses being torn down. The number of people living there started to drop. Ultimo was a good place for warehouses because it was close to Darling Harbour. Many large warehouse buildings from the early 1900s can still be seen on Wattle Street. By 1978, only about 1,800 people lived in Pyrmont and Ultimo.

From the 1950s, Festival Records had its main office and studios on Harris Street. They were a leading Australian record company. In 1973, local workers and residents worked together to stop a new expressway. This road would have destroyed parts of Ultimo and Pyrmont.

Later, many industries moved away from the city. The wool industry also declined, making Ultimo's large wool storage buildings empty. In the 1980s, old industrial sites started to be turned into homes. Most of these were apartments. This change is still happening today.

Today, there isn't much industry left. Ultimo is now a mix of homes and businesses. An old brick building, Davey's Flour Mill, built in 1911, is a reminder of the past.

Inglis' Bazaar & Saleyards in 1923

The Dairy Farmer's Cooperative operated in Ultimo from 1912 until 2009. After it closed, the site was redeveloped by the nearby UTS. This new building was designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry.

Wentworth Park started as a swamp. It later became a sports field. It was once the home ground for the Glebe Dirty Reds rugby league team. Since 1991, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has had its main office in Ultimo.

Important Historic Places

Ultimo has several sites that are protected for their history. These include:

• The railway bridge under Ultimo Road.
• The Ultimo Post Office at 494 Harris Street.
• The Ultimo Substation at 41 Mountain Street.
• The Ultimo Sewage Pumping Station on William Henry Street.

Places of Worship

A well-known building in Ultimo is the Uniting Church. It's on the corner of Quarry Street and Bulwara Road. The church was built in 1883. It replaced an older church in Pyrmont. The congregation, now called The Mustard Seed, is still active there.

Shopping and Business Areas

TAFE building, once the Marcus Clark building

Farmers & Graziers, a typical warehouse building in Ultimo

Ultimo's main shopping and business areas are around Broadway, Harris Street, and Wattle Street. The Broadway Shopping Centre is located where the old Grace Bros department store used to be. Many old industrial buildings in Ultimo are being updated for homes and businesses. This process is called gentrification. The company TransGrid, which manages electricity, is on Thomas Street.

The main offices and studios for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) are in Ultimo. This building, called the Ultimo Centre, also has a concert hall. It's known as the Eugene Goosens Hall. Other TV channels like NITV and Aurora also broadcast from here.

Harris Street is also home to Sydney's Powerhouse Museum. Wentworth Park is a sports area in Ultimo. It's used for sports like rugby union, rugby league, soccer, and greyhound racing.

Getting Around Ultimo

Evening buses running along George Street

Ultimo has great public transport. Central Station is very close to the suburb's southern edge. The Inner West Light Rail has stations near Ultimo's eastern side. Many buses also travel along Broadway.

A special landmark in Ultimo is an old railway bridge. This bridge now carries the light rail through Wentworth Park. It was built in 1922 and has many brick arches. It's seen as an amazing example of brick engineering.

The Goods Line is a park and walking path. It uses a part of the old railway line that the light rail doesn't use.

Who Lives in Ultimo?

At the 2021 census, 7,410 people lived in Ultimo. Because it's so close to Chinatown, many people of Chinese background have lived here over the years.

In 2016, 82.4% of people in Ultimo were born outside Australia. The most common countries of birth were China, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, and India. Many different languages are spoken at home, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Korean, and Indonesian. About half of the people said they had no religion. Most homes in Ultimo are apartments.

Homes in Ultimo

Terraced houses in Quarry Street

Like other inner Sydney suburbs, Ultimo has some very old Victorian-style terraced houses. Even though some areas were redeveloped, many beautiful old homes still stand. These homes have been updated and improved over time.

Learning in Ultimo

Ultimo is a hub for education. It has the main campus of the University of Technology Sydney. It's also home to the Sydney Institute of TAFE, which is the biggest TAFE college in New South Wales. International Grammar School is located nearby. Ultimo Public School is also in the area.

Notable People from Ultimo

Some famous people have lived in Ultimo, including:

• Lionel Bowen, a politician who was the 6th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.
• John Harris, a surgeon and magistrate.
• Nina Eva Vida Jones, a racing car driver.

Images for kids

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  ABC building, Harris Street

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  Powerhouse Museum, Harris Street

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  UTS tower, Broadway

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  UTS Fairfax building, Jones Street

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  Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, Ultimo Road

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  Uniting Church, Quarry Street