Ultimo, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Ultimo is an inner-city suburb
of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
. Ultimo is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district
in the local government area of the City of Sydney
.
Broadway
is a locality around the road of the same name, which is located on the borders of Ultimo, Chippendale
and Glebe
.
, on 34 acres (137,593.2 m²) granted to him by Governor King
in 1803. It was named for a clerical error in a legal case against Harris that had prevented him being court-martialled. His offence was listed as 'ultimo' (having occurred in the previous month) when it should have been cited as 'instant' (having occurred in the same month). Harris Street
is named in his honour.
The area remained as farmland, in possession of the Harris family, until it was subdivided in 1859. At that time, most of the current streets were laid out, and the descendants of John Harris constructed the first residences in the area (at least one of which - a row of terraces in Wattle Street - pictured below - was still owned by the family in the early 1980s).
Residential development accelerated in the 1880s. In 1891 the population of the Pyrmont-Ultimo area was 19,177, in 3,966 dwellings. The population peaked at around 30,000 in 1900. However, the construction of factories, quarries, woolstores and a power station in the early 20th century saw the demolition of hundreds of houses, and a steady decline in population. It was a good site for warehouses because of its proximity to Darling Harbour. Several examples of the Federation
Warehouse style can be found along Wattle Street. By 1954, the population of Pyrmont and Ultimo was 5,000, and by 1978 it was just 1,800.
For approximately ten years from the early 1950s, Harris Street was home to the head office, recording studio, pressing plant and warehouse of Festival Records (Australia)
, which was Australia's leading independent record company for almost 50 years. Festival moved its facilities to a site in nearby Pyrmont, New South Wales
in 1966.
Subsequently, many industries began to move to cheaper land further from the CBD, and the decline of the wool industry made Ultimo's 15 woolstores redundant. By the start of the 1980s, derelict industrial sites began to be redeveloped for residences, mostly as apartments, a process that continues to the present.
Very little industry remains in the area, and its current character is a combination of residential and commercial. One conspicuous industrial relic is the brick shell of Davey's Flour Mill, built in 1911, and adjacent to the southern approach to the Anzac Bridge
.
The Dairy Farmer's Cooperative
operated from its facility in Ultimo Road from 1912 to its closure in 2009, after which the site was redeveloped by the nearby UTS in a project designed by architect Frank Gehry
.
Wentworth Park commenced its life as a creek and swamp, known from the 1830s as Blackwattle Cove Swamp. Wentworth Park became a rugby league
oval and the home ground of the Glebe Dirty Reds who were a part of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
back in its inception.
department store chain. The Ultimo area is undergoing gentrification
, with considerable redevelopment of industrial buildings for residential and commercial purposes.
The Sydney radio and television studios of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
are located in its Ultimo Centre on Harris Street
. The Ultimo Centre also houses an auditorium and recording studio, known as the Eugene Goosens Hall, an ABC Shop and a restaurant. Sydney's community television station TVS
, NITV & Aurora from a digital broadcast centre are located at Ultimo Centre.
Harris Street is also the home of Sydney's Powerhouse Museum
. Wentworth Park
is a multi-purpose sporting facility in Ultimo that is used for various sports including rugby union
, rugby league
, soccer and greyhound racing
.
is at the southern border of the suburb, on the opposite side of Broadway. Metro Light Rail
and the Sydney monorail both have stations at the eastern edge of the suburb, where Ultimo borders Darling Harbour. Many buses travel along Broadway.
A distinctive landmark in Ultimo is the railway viaduct that carries the old railway line through Wentworth Park
. The viaduct was built in 1922 and consists primarily of twenty-three brick arches. It is considered "an outstanding example of engineering brickwork" and is listed on the Register of the National Estate
. The viaduct now carries the Metro Light Rail line.
means that it has historically had a large Chinese population.
In common with other inner suburbs such as Surry Hills, Ultimo still has some of the oldest examples of Victorian Terraced houses in Australia. Despite constant 'slum' clearance and redevelopment during the 20th century, many fine examples exist and, as in other inner suburbs, have been progressively 'gentrified' in recent times.
of the University of Technology, Sydney
and the Sydney Institute of TAFE, the largest TAFE in New South Wales. International Grammar School
is located near the western boundary. Ultimo Public School is bounded by Jones Street, Wattle Street and Quarry Street.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Ultimo is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
in the local government area of the City of Sydney
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
.
Broadway
Broadway, New South Wales
Broadway is a road in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The road constitutes the border between the suburbs of Ultimo and Chippendale . Broadway is also an urban locality....
is a locality around the road of the same name, which is located on the borders of Ultimo, Chippendale
Chippendale, New South Wales
Chippendale is a small inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Chippendale is located on the southern edge of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
and Glebe
Glebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
.
History
'Ultimo' was originally the name of the estate of Dr John HarrisJohn Harris, (Australian settler)
John Harris was a military surgeon and magistrate who became one of the earliest major landowners in the Colony of New South Wales, Australia....
, on 34 acres (137,593.2 m²) granted to him by Governor King
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He is best known as the official founder of the first European settlement on Norfolk Island and as the third Governor of New South Wales.-Early years and establishment of Norfolk Island settlement:King was born...
in 1803. It was named for a clerical error in a legal case against Harris that had prevented him being court-martialled. His offence was listed as 'ultimo' (having occurred in the previous month) when it should have been cited as 'instant' (having occurred in the same month). Harris Street
Harris Street (Ultimo), Sydney
Harris Street is the main thoroughfare in the inner western suburbs of Ultimo and Pyrmont in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It runs from Broadway in the south to the northern tip of the Pyrmont peninsula. Harris Street was formerly lined by industrial sites such as the Ultimo Power Station,...
is named in his honour.
The area remained as farmland, in possession of the Harris family, until it was subdivided in 1859. At that time, most of the current streets were laid out, and the descendants of John Harris constructed the first residences in the area (at least one of which - a row of terraces in Wattle Street - pictured below - was still owned by the family in the early 1980s).
Federation architecture
Federation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
Warehouse style can be found along Wattle Street. By 1954, the population of Pyrmont and Ultimo was 5,000, and by 1978 it was just 1,800.
For approximately ten years from the early 1950s, Harris Street was home to the head office, recording studio, pressing plant and warehouse of Festival Records (Australia)
Festival Records (Australia)
Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
, which was Australia's leading independent record company for almost 50 years. Festival moved its facilities to a site in nearby Pyrmont, New South Wales
Pyrmont, New South Wales
Pyrmont is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pyrmont is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
in 1966.
Very little industry remains in the area, and its current character is a combination of residential and commercial. One conspicuous industrial relic is the brick shell of Davey's Flour Mill, built in 1911, and adjacent to the southern approach to the Anzac Bridge
ANZAC Bridge
The ANZAC Bridge or Anzac Bridge , replacing the earlier Glebe Island Bridge, is a large cable-stayed bridge spanning Johnstons Bay between Pyrmont and Glebe Island in proximity to the central business district of Sydney, Australia...
.
The Dairy Farmer's Cooperative
Dairy Farmers
Dairy Farmers is one of the largest and oldest dairy manufacturers in Australia, established in 1900, supplying products to local and international markets such as Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Kirin Holdings Company, Limited of Japan, via its subsidiary National Foods, acquired the...
operated from its facility in Ultimo Road from 1912 to its closure in 2009, after which the site was redeveloped by the nearby UTS in a project designed by architect Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
.
Wentworth Park commenced its life as a creek and swamp, known from the 1830s as Blackwattle Cove Swamp. Wentworth Park became a rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
oval and the home ground of the Glebe Dirty Reds who were a part of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
back in its inception.
Churches
One of the landmarks in the area is the Uniting Church on the corner of Quarry Street and Bulwara Road. The church was originally built in 1883 to replace the old Presbyterian Church at Mount Street, Pyrmont. The latter had been the first Presbyterian Church in the colony, but it outgrew its old premises and the congregation had to move to the new church in Ultimo. A manse was built a few years later. By 2001 the church was in bad repair and had to be restored with help from a government grant. The church is still active and the congregation goes by the name of The Mustard Seed.Commercial area
The commercial areas of Ultimo are mainly centred around Broadway, Harris Street and Wattle Street. The Broadway Shopping Centre is located in the former site of the flagship building of the Grace BrothersGrace Bros.
Grace Bros was an Australian department store chain, founded in 1885. It was bought by Myer in 1983. There were 25 stores across New South Wales and the ACT, until they were re-branded under the Myer name in 2004.-History:...
department store chain. The Ultimo area is undergoing gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
, with considerable redevelopment of industrial buildings for residential and commercial purposes.
The Sydney radio and television studios of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
are located in its Ultimo Centre on Harris Street
Harris Street (Ultimo), Sydney
Harris Street is the main thoroughfare in the inner western suburbs of Ultimo and Pyrmont in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It runs from Broadway in the south to the northern tip of the Pyrmont peninsula. Harris Street was formerly lined by industrial sites such as the Ultimo Power Station,...
. The Ultimo Centre also houses an auditorium and recording studio, known as the Eugene Goosens Hall, an ABC Shop and a restaurant. Sydney's community television station TVS
Television Sydney
TVS, or Television Sydney , is a free-to-air community television station broadcasting in Sydney, Australia.-History:Transmissions officially commenced on analogue UHF channel 31 in February 2006 after three months of technical trials...
, NITV & Aurora from a digital broadcast centre are located at Ultimo Centre.
Harris Street is also the home of Sydney's Powerhouse Museum
Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, the other being the historic Sydney Observatory...
. Wentworth Park
Wentworth Park
Wentworth Park is a multi-purpose sporting facility in the suburb of Glebe in New South Wales, Australia.that is used for various sports including rugby union, rugby league, soccer and greyhound racing. Wentworth Park is located 2 kilometres from the Sydney central business district...
is a multi-purpose sporting facility in Ultimo that is used for various sports including rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, soccer and greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
.
Transport
Ultimo is well-served by public transport. Central railway stationCentral railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
is at the southern border of the suburb, on the opposite side of Broadway. Metro Light Rail
Metro Light Rail
The Metro Light Rail is the only currently operating light rail line in Sydney. The line opened on 31 August 1997, mostly along the route of an unused goods railway line, to serve the redeveloped inner-city areas of Darling Harbour, Ultimo and Pyrmont, and was extended in 2000 to serve some of...
and the Sydney monorail both have stations at the eastern edge of the suburb, where Ultimo borders Darling Harbour. Many buses travel along Broadway.
A distinctive landmark in Ultimo is the railway viaduct that carries the old railway line through Wentworth Park
Wentworth Park
Wentworth Park is a multi-purpose sporting facility in the suburb of Glebe in New South Wales, Australia.that is used for various sports including rugby union, rugby league, soccer and greyhound racing. Wentworth Park is located 2 kilometres from the Sydney central business district...
. The viaduct was built in 1922 and consists primarily of twenty-three brick arches. It is considered "an outstanding example of engineering brickwork" and is listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
. The viaduct now carries the Metro Light Rail line.
Population
The 2001 census recorded a population of 4,054, 46% of whom were born overseas. Its proximity to ChinatownChinatown, Sydney
Sydney's Chinatown is an urban locality in the southern part of the Sydney central business district, in New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Haymarket, between Central Station and Darling Harbour...
means that it has historically had a large Chinese population.
Houses
Schools
Ultimo is home to the main campusCampus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
of the University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
and the Sydney Institute of TAFE, the largest TAFE in New South Wales. International Grammar School
International Grammar School
International Grammar School is an independent, coeducational, secular, day school, located in Ultimo, an inner city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
is located near the western boundary. Ultimo Public School is bounded by Jones Street, Wattle Street and Quarry Street.