Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House is located on Bennelong Point, East Circular Quayin Sydney Cove. The Point was originally a small tidal rocky island with a small beach on the western side. In the period from 1818 - 1821, the tidal area was filled and the area levelled to provide suitable stone for the construction of Fort Macquarieon the site. The fort was demolished in 1901 and new electric tramwaysheds were built on the site. The tramway sheds were demolished in 1958 to make way for the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon who won a competition for his design.Premier John Joseph Cahill and the NSW Government approved the project and it commenced in 1958. The Cahill Expressway which overlooks the Sydney Opera House and Circular Quay was named after Premier John Joseph Cahill. A change of Government in 1965 changed what was to take place with the Sydney Opera House. Davis Hughes, the Minister of Public Works simply refused to pay Utzon. This meant that he could not pay his staff, his contractors or his taxes. Utzon finally resigned and left Sydney in early 1966. Utzon never returned to Australia. In 2002 Utzon was to return at the age of 83 to supervise a $45 million upgrade but later turned it down. By the time Jørn Utzon left Australia, the exterior construction of the Opera House was complete in its basic form - the tile pattern cladding was yet to be finished. The sails of the Sydney Opera House are tiled with over 1 million Swedish made tiles. The Sydney Opera House cost $102 million when finished in 1973 butup to the end of Utzon’s resignation and leaving Australia, the total costs for building was only around $18.4 million. The exterior of the Sydney Opera House was never changed but thenew team made significant changes to the interior. The 4 companies that use the Sydney Opera House on a permanent basis are - Sydney Theatre Company - Opera Australia - The Australian Ballet - Sydney Symphony Orchestra There are seven venues inside the Sydney Opera House - The Concert Hall - The Joan Sutherland Theatre formally known as theOpera Theatre - The Drama Theatre - The Studio - Play House - The Forecourt - The Utzon Room The Sydney Opera House was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. The Architect Jørn Utzon was not invited to the opening and no credit was given to him during the Ceremony. From the Sydney Opera House you can see - o Fort Denison, o Sydney Harbour Bridge, o Circular Quay, o North Sydney, o The Rocks o & many other sites of Sydney & Port Jackson.