[citation needed] Prominent early landowners in Kirribilli included members of the Campbell, Jeffrey and Gibbes families.

Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes (1787–1873), the Collector of Customs for New South Wales, built 'Wotonga' - the forerunner of Admiralty House - in 1842–43 on a 5-acre (20,000 m2) site which he leased, and then purchased, from the Campbells.

Eventually, the house was demolished and its grounds subdivided into numerous residential blocks which were put up for public auction in 1905.

[5] Although Kirribilli is a predominantly residential area today, from 1890 to 1921, the Pastoral Finance Association had a large wool warehouse, meat cold store and wharf, on the foreshore adjacent to Admiralty House.The seven-storey building was destroyed by fire in December 1921, along with 30,000 bales of wool.

Kirribilli, being a desirable location with stunning views of Sydney Harbour, saw property values rise.

Residential development intensified during this period, with older houses being replaced by modern apartment blocks and townhouses.

This development was part of the wider trend of urbanisation in Sydney, where city dwellers moved into the suburbs for more space.

Originally, Kirribilli formed part of the Parish of St Leonard's and was served by a private ferry service.

During the early decades of the 20th century, Kirribilli's shoreline was dominated by a large, multi-storey brick warehouse which was eventually torn down to make way for housing.

Admiralty House, originally a private dwelling belonging to Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes, is Kirribilli's oldest extant building, the earliest portions of which date to 1842.

The following buildings are on the Register of the National Estate:[14] Kirribilli supports the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.