The iconic Sydney Opera House was dedicated on October 20, 1973 by Queen Elizabeth, fifty years ago today. The winning design for the facility was based on a 1957 sketch that invoked the image of sails that would house several performing arts facilities within flying concrete arched shells. It took years to translate the sketch to a structure that was economically and physically able to be constructed.
I had the good fortune to visit the Opera House several years ago and, unlike some famous landmarks, is as impressive in life as in photographs. It serves as the anchor for a beautiful waterfront and city center and the wonderfully friendly city of Sydney. The harbor is one of the best in the world, with a fairly narrow entrance from which boats wind their way to a wide area busy with ferries and pleasure craft. the Opera House serves as the backdrop for the start of the annual Sydney-Hobart sailing race that begins each December 26, known as Boxing Day.
