The construction of the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Bain, Jack (1966) The construction of the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. [Image]

Abstract

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, but completed by an Australian architectural team headed by Peter Hall, the building was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973 after a gestation beginning with Utzon's 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The Government of New South Wales, led by the premier, Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958 with Utzon directing construction. The government's decision to build Utzon's design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect's ultimate resignation.

The building and its surrounds occupy the whole of Bennelong Point on Sydney Harbour, between Sydney Cove and Farm Cove, adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and near to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The building comprises multiple performance venues, which together host well over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2 million people. Performances are presented by numerous performing artists, including three resident companies: Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, the site is visited by more than eight million people annually, and approximately 350,000 visitors take a guided tour of the building each year.The building is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust, an agency of the New South Wales State Government.

On 28 June 2007, the Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site,having been listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate since 1980, the National Trust of Australia register since 1983, the City of Sydney Heritage Inventory since 2000, the New South Wales State Heritage Register since 2003, and the Australian National Heritage List since 2005. The Opera House was also a finalist in the New7Wonders of the World campaign list. (Wikipedia)

Additional Information

Item Type: Image
Source Media: 35 mm slide
Collection: Bain/O'Gorman
Sub-Collection Title:

Australia - New South Wales - Sydney

Date: 1966
Keywords: Sydney Opera House - New South Wales - Australia
Related URLs:
Date Deposited: 13 Mar 2023 05:10
Last Modified: 18 Feb 2024 11:18
Copyright Owner: Queensland University of Technology
Copyright Statement: You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute Queensland University of Technology
Location:
CountryState or RegionCity or TownPlace
AustraliaNew South WalesSydneySydney Harbour
Location -33.858611, 151.2141
URI: https://digitalcollections.qut.edu.au/id/eprint/7016
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