Until 1850, Ultimo was semi-rural, with cornfields and cow paddocks. Members of the Gadigal people still harvested cockles on its foreshores.
Then the landscape was remade by sandstone quarrying on Ultimo’s western edge and by the construction of a railway and goods yard on its eastern shoreline. The suburb became crowded with factories, woolstores and workers’ housing.
Today it has a new identity as a cultural precinct as industrial sites are adapted for entertainment and education. This tour of Ultimo starts in greyness and ends in the technicolour of Darling Harbour.
About the Creator
City of Sydney CouncilAI Translation
City of Sydney Council is on the Cya On The Road PRO —now supercharged with automatic AI translation! That means you can now explore this tour in your language of choice, including:
Quick tip: Change the system language on your phone to view this tour in your chosen language in the app.
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To unlock the full experience—including 23 hidden gems, each with immersive audio stories, plus handy features to guide your journey—download the Cya On The Road app.
Once you're in the app, simply search for the tour name Renewal Ultimo - Sydney Culture Walks to get started.
