Australia’s Most Favourite Attraction, Sydney Opera House Turned 50

This year on October 20th, Australia's most favourite attraction, Sydney Opera House turned 50, completing its golden jubilee.

Australia’s Most Favourite Attraction, Sydney Opera House Turned 50 – A Rich History 

On October 20th Australia’s beloved Sydney Opera House checked 50 years off the calendar. This symbol of modern Australia is a well-known icon of the country that has been given a cultural value of $11.4 billion by the global financial firm Deloitte. The Opera House, similar to the Empire State Building, and the Eiffel Tower symbolizes Australia and is famous to such an extent that it can be recognized by its silhouette alone. The Sydney Opera House was inaugurated by the late Queen Elizabeth II in the year 1973 on the 20th of October. Soon after its inauguration, the Opera House became a popular tourist attraction and now is visited every year by more than one million tourists. 

A Danish architect, Jorn Utzon is the man behind the iconic design of the Sydney Opera House. A competition was held to select the best design for the Sydney Opera House and from the 233 designs, Utzon’s was the one that wowed the judges and won him the competition. Later he also won the Pritzker Prize which is considered to be the Nobel Prize of architecture. 

Australia’s Most Favourite Attraction, Sydney Opera House Turned 50 – World Heritage

The Sydney Opera House has so much more to offer than just Opera.  Jade McKellar, the chief customer officer for the Sydney Opera House stated:

“I think there’s a big misconception that we’re the classical arts.

“We also have contemporary music. We have a big talks program, where we’ve had international and local speakers take it to our stages. We have children’s programming. Any time you come to the Opera House, there’ll be something on that somebody would be interested in.”

In 2007, when the Sydney Opera House was added by UNESCO to its World Heritage, the praising words were simply euphoric. UNESCO wrote in its designation:

“The Sydney Opera House constitutes a masterpiece of 20th Century architecture,” 

According to the document the building boosted an “unparalleled design and construction”. UNESCO also mentioned in the document that the Sydney Opera House was “a daring and visionary experiment”.  

50 Years’ Worth of History

As Australia’s most favourite attraction, the Sydney Opera House turned 50, the country celebrated its birthday by illuminating the Opera House building with a light show created by Australian audio-visual artist Robin Fox on Friday. To spread the happiness, the building welcomed more than 37,000 people on Saturday for free tours. In a post on X, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: 

“A symbol around the world and a national treasure turns 50,”

The Opera House’s chief executive, Louise Herron also received congratulatory wishes from all over the world as Australia’s most favorite attraction, Sydney Opera House, turned 50. Among these congratulatory wishes was a letter from King Charles III which stated:

“Since its opening in 1973 by my beloved mother, the Sydney Opera House has stood as a continuing legacy for Australians, profoundly influencing contemporary arts and culture, both locally and internationally, and having global recognition as a symbol of modern Australia.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you all for a most memorable and successful celebration.”

Australia’s Most Favourite Attraction, Sydney Opera House Turned 50 – Concluding Statement 

As Sydney Opera House ticks 50 years off the calendar, its status as the country’s premiere cultural institution remains unrivaled. From lockdowns to celebrity showdowns, its hallowed halls stand witness to some of the greatest events of history. From the likes of the late Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband Prince Philip to Dalai Lama, many famous and influential personalities graced the Sydney Opera House with their presence.