The Story Behind Australia's Most Famous Landmark

by Ermiyas Abiy, age 10

The Sydney Opera House is a historical landmark and one of the most iconic buildings of the 20th century. It opened in 1973 and is mostly known for its unique structure and design. It is now a symbol of Sydney, Australia, where the Opera House is located. The original story behind the Sydney Opera House is so dramatic that it has captured the world’s attention, making headlines in the news and on social media platforms for over 15 years.

The person who originally wanted the Sydney Opera House built was the conductor Eugene Goossens, one of the most well-known composers of the 20th century. He would later be appointed to lead the orchestra. A couple of years later, he publicly called for a world-class concert hall. Eugene then stated that there will be an opera house within the next five years, where the world will be able to listen to the orchestra at its finest. This is because Sydney was among the world’s best orchestra groups. In 1954, Eugene met with Joseph Cahill, the Premier of New South Wales. The two agreed that Sydney needed a major performance venue.

A year later, Joseph Cahill declared a worldwide competition to design the Sydney Opera House. Saarinen championed the competition. Even though there is no record of the evaluation process, rumors persist that American architect Eero Saarinen arrived after the three members of the judging panel had shortlisted the designs. Saarinen believed that the structures the members chose were underwhelming and through rejected projects, and came across 218, John Utzon’s design number.

Saarinen convinced the panel that John Utzon’s design was the winning submission, and Cahill contributed seven million dollars to the building operation of the opera house in January 1957.

The Sydney Opera House had many troubles along the way. Eventually, the Sydney Opera House was opened by Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ on October 20, 1973. The Sydney Opera House was ten years past due and 14 times the original budget, totaling $102 million.

The Sydney Opera House has a troubling backstory, but a beautiful outcome. Its story is absolutely amazing, and it is now considered one of the eight wonders of the world. In addition to its unique architecture, the story makes the Sydney Opera House even more distinctive.

[Source: National Museum Australia]