Sydney Opera House 50th Anniversary: UNESCO Heritage Site, Olympics

Danish Architect Joern Utzon in 1962 with his model of the Sydney Opera House. Utzon won a 1956 design competition for the Opera House out of 223 entries from 28 countries. Picture: News Corp Australia

Bennelong Point in 1962, the site earmarked for the National Opera House. The project was expected to take four years, but took 10,000 workers 14 years to complete the ambitious design. Picture: Sydney Opera House Trust

Construction gets underway at the Sydney Opera House. The design features 1 million Swedish roof tiles and could comfortably sit seven A380s wing-to-wing on the site. Picture: Supplied

Construction in 1966. The original cost was estimated at around $7 million, but was blown out to $102 million and was mainly funded by a State Lottery. Picture: National Archives of Australia

In 1960, Paul Robeson became the first person to perform at the Sydney Opera House, climbing the scaffolding and singing ‘Ol’ Man River’ to the workers as they ate lunch. Picture: Sydney Opera House

Almost a month before the Opera House was declared officially open, the Australian Opera performed its first production of Prokofiev’s War and Peace on the brand new stage. Picture: Opera Australia

On October 20 1973, Queen Elizabeth II was greeted by huge crowds to commemorate the official opening of the Sydney Opera House. Picture: News Corp Australia

Later that year, The Australian Ballet made their debut on the Opera House stage with Peggy van Praagh’s production of The Sleeping Beauty. Picture: The Australian Ballet Archives

Sammy Davis Jr., Australia’s greatest opera star, Joan Sutherland, and comedian Billy Connolly were just some of the early stars to grace the stage. Picture: Sydney Opera House Trust

Comedian and actor Barry Humphries wears a hat featuring the Opera House at Royal Ascot in England, 1976. Picture: News Corp Australia

Arnold Schwarzenegger (L) competes on stage during the Mr Olympia professional bodybuilding competition at the Sydney Opera House in 1980, in which he won his last title. Picture: Bob Finlayson

Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales And Diana, Princess Of Wales visited hoards of people packed on the steps of the Opera House during their royal tour in 1983. Picture: Tim Graham/Getty Images

Model and actor, Elle Macpherson, on the catwalk at the Wool Spectacular Fashion Show at the Sydney Opera House in the ‘80s. Picture: News Corp Australia

Pope John Paul II gets a view from the water on Sydney Harbour during his Australian tour in 1986. Picture: Supplied

In 1990, Nelson Mandela - recently freed after 27 years in prison - gave a speech of forgiveness to a crowd of 40,000 on the Opera House’s Monumental Steps. Picture: Barry McKinnon

Opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland at her final concert at the Sydney Opera House. Picture: Supplied

1996 saw 100,000 people cram onto the forecourt for Melbourne-born rock group Crowded House's last farewell concert. Picture: Matthew Munro

From crowds to cows as the Royal Easter Show gave VIP access to its animal guests. Picture: Jeff Darmanin

Michael Jackson attracted hoards of fans during his 1996 Australian tour. Picture: Grant Turner

Dancer Justine Summers, principal ballerina with the Australian Ballet, during a break in rehearsals at the Sydney Opera House in 1999. Picture: Pip Blackwood

Dancers competing during the 1999 NSW Dancesport Championships held outdoors at the Sydney Opera House. Picture: Supplied

3, 2, 1, Happy New Millennium! Sydney Opera House & Harbour Bridge light up with their iconic fireworks to welcome in the new era. Picture: Nick Cubbin

During the Corroboree 2000 celebrations, on a day where more than 150,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a sign of reconciliation, the word 'sorry' appeared in the sky above the sails. Picture: Rob Griffith/AP

Samantha Riley holds the Olympic Torch at the top of the Opera House in September 2000. Picture: Mark Williams

Competitors in action in the swim section of the Women's Triathlon at the Opera House during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Picture: Adam Pretty/Allsport

Dancers Amber Scott and Patrick Thaiday atop the sails of the Opera House as the Australian Ballet heralds its 50th anniversary year. Picture: Jess Bialek

Protesters daubed the slogan “No War” shortly before the announcement Australian troops would join any U.S.-led military strike to disarm Iraq. Picture: Dan Peled/AP

Queen Elizabeth II and Australian Prime Minister John Howard pose for a photograph on the front lawn of Admiralty House after a Commonwealth Day Reception in 2006. Picture: Will Burgess/Getty Images

In June 2007, the Sydney Opera House was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a “masterpiece of human creativity, not only in the 20th century but in the history of humankind.” Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Pope Benedict XVI waves to the huge crowds lining the streets of Sydney as his motorcade passes the Sydney Opera House in 2008. Picture: Dean Lewis/AAP

In 2009, the Opera House looked like it had landed on Mars as red dust from Central Australia was carried by high winds, causing chaos. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

5,200 posed nude on the Monumental Steps for American photographer Spencer Tunick in 2010. The shoot entitled 'Mardi Gras: The Base' was commissioned by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Picture: Dean Lewins/AAP

US talk show TV host Oprah Winfrey used the forecourt to film an episode of her show, featuring Terri Irwin and children Bindi and Robert, with snakes from Australia Zoo. Picture: Adam Taylor

Hugh Jackman also made a flying visit for Oprah’s event, alongside Aussie stars Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Russell Crowe and Olivia Newton-John. Picture: Torsten Blackwood/AFP

Over 2000 participants in Sydney danced a choreographed dance simultaneously with participants in London and Glasgow during the Big Dance 2014. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

In 2015, Dancerites was premiered at the Homeground Festival as a new national Indigenous dance competition. Picture: Joseph Mayers

2015 saw Stephen Hawking appear on the stage as a hologram, presenting on theorical physics to a packed audience. Picture: Prudence Upton

After a secondment with the Australian Army, Prince Harry speaks with keen members of the public during a visit to the Sydney Opera House in 2015. Picture: Dean Lewins/AAP

Songlines 2016 was a project that, for the first time, illuminated the Opera House sails with artworks by six Indigenous artists. Picture: Destinations NSW

A lucky audience was treated to an intimate solo performance by Prince in the Concert Hall as part of his Piano and Microphone Tour of Australia. The singer died two months later. Picture: Justine Walpole

The Australian Ballet takes to the stage for their iconic performances of Swan Lake. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

In 2017, The Australian Chamber Orchestra performed the world premiere of its live cinematic production, Mountain. It went on to become the highest-ever-grossing homegrown documentary in Australian cinemas. Picture: Maria Boyadgis

The Black Summer saw a blanket of smoke haze descend on the Harbour, enveloping the Bridge and Opera House with it. Picture: Joel Carrett/AAP

A rendered image shows what the new Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House will look like after the biggest upgrade in its 46-year history, which started in January 2020. Picture: Dean Lewis/AAP

Just two months later, the Opera House was forced to shut for the COVID-19 pandemic. In keeping with theatre tradition, ‘ghost lights’ were installed. Not just for practical reasons, these lights ensure any resident ghosts are able to play on stage without disturbing props. Picture: Daniel James Boud

The sails are lit up with Sam Kerr in ancitipation of hosting the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

1,000 Sydneysiders united on the steps of the Sydney Opera House to form a giant Progress Flag to launch Sydney WorldPride 2023 and commemorate the 44th anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

A Sydney Symphony Orchestra concert on July 20, 2022, marks the reopening of the newly-refurbished Concert Hall. Picture: Daniel Boud

An image of the late Queen Elizabeth II is projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House on September 10, 2022. She made six visits to the Opera House in her lifetime, the most recent in 2006. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

'Bark of Millions' makes its world premiere in the Concert Hall on October 20th to celebrate the Sydney Opera House's 50th Birthday. The one-night-only event includes an ensemble of 22 vocalists and musicians. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

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50 years in 50 photos: A visual history of the Sydney Opera House

50 years in 50 photos: A visual history of the Sydney Opera House

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