Ultimo, New South Wales

Ultimo Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney Institute of TAFE, Harris Street
Coordinates	33°52′56″S 151°11′49″E / 33.88223°S 151.19696°E / -33.88223; 151.19696Coordinates: 33°52′56″S 151°11′49″E / 33.88223°S 151.19696°E / -33.88223; 151.19696
Population	7,111 (2011 census)
• Density	11,900/km2 (30,700/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2007
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 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.

'Ultimo' was originally the name of the estate of Dr John Harris, on 34 acres (140,000 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–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, 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.