Tour of Sydney Opera House

At 9:45am we toured the world-famous Sydney Opera House. Michael, our guide, was wonderfully animated and incredibly knowledgeable about all things related to the Opera House.

On February 3, 1954, when the newly crowned Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, made her first visit to Australia, the prospect of a cultural centre somewhere in Sydney was little more than a thought-bubble among a small group of Australians. It wasn’t until later that year that the then-Premier, Joe Cahill, convened a public meeting about an opera house that would “help to develop and mould a better, more enlightened community”. On October 20, 1973, the Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh visited Bennelong Point to officially open the new Opera House. Standing in the wind, she congratulated the people of Sydney and Australia for this “remarkable addition to its architecture and to its cultural and community life.” In 2006, she returned to the Opera House to open the new colonnade, describing it as a happy occasion “rich in associations, memories and symbolism.”  How fortuitous that we are visiting the Opera House 2 days after the passing of the Queen.

The Sydney Opera House is situated on Bennelong Point, a promontory on the south side of the harbour just east of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It was named for Bennelong, one of two Aboriginal people who served as liaisons between Australia’s first British settlers and the local population.

In 1956 the state government sponsored an international competition for a design that was to include a building with two halls—one primarily for concerts and other large musical and dance productions and the other for dramatic presentations and smaller musical events. Architects from some 30 countries submitted 233 entries. In January 1957 the judging committee announced the winning entry, that of Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who won with a dramatic design showing a complex of two main halls side by side facing out to the harbour on a large podium. Each hall was topped with a row of sail-shaped interlocking panels that would serve as both roof and wall, to be made of precast concrete.

His winning entry brought Utzon international fame. Construction, however, which began in 1959, posed a variety of problems, many resulting from the innovative nature of the design. The opening of the Opera House was originally planned for Australia Day (January 26) in 1963, but cost overruns and structural engineering difficulties in executing the design troubled the course of the work, which faced many delays. The project grew controversial, and public opinion turned against it for a time. Amid continuing disagreements with the government authorities overseeing the project, Utzon resigned in 1966. Construction continued until September 1973 under the supervision of the structural engineering firm Ove Arup and Partners and three Sydney architects—Peter Hall, David Littlemore, and Lionel Todd.

In 1999 Utzon agreed to return as the building’s architect, overseeing an improvement project. He redesigned the former Reception Hall, and it was reopened in 2004 as the Utzon Room. It has an eastern view of Sydney Harbour and is used for receptions, seminars and other meetings, and chamber music performances. Two years later a new colonnade was completed, marking the first alteration to the Opera House’s exterior since 1973.

The Opera House is Sydney’s best-known landmark. It is a multipurpose performing arts facility whose largest venue, the 2,679-seat Concert Hall, is host to symphony concerts, choir performances, and popular music shows. Opera and dance performances, including ballet, take place in the Opera Theatre which seats just over 1,500. There are also three theatres of different sizes and configurations for stage plays, film screenings, and smaller musical performances. The Forecourt, on the southeastern end of the complex, is used for outdoor performances. The building also houses restaurants and a professional recording studio. In 2007 the Opera House was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site. In 2003 Utzon received the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.

We had hoped to catch the Big Bus and enjoy a quick tour of the major Sydney sights. Unfortunately, the bus driver ignored us trying to flag her down and drove right on by. So we consoled ourselves with lunch and drinks on the wharf. I devoured a Moreton Bay Bugs salad (have never had Bay Bugs before) and a delicious peach tea and rum bubble drink.

This evening, we gathered in the dining room at the hotel for the welcome reception and dinner. We met Kennedy who will be giving some lectures on the trip.

We sat with Jason with whom we have travelled before.

Off to bed for our early morning departure and the trip begins.