The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognisable buildings in the world. Fusing ancient and modernist influences and situated on a site sacred to the Gadigal people for thousands of years, it is Australia’s premier tourist attraction, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site and one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world. 

While the tale of The Sydney Opera House is one of breathtaking triumph, it is also one of personal cost. Its Danish architect, Jørn Utzon (1918–2008), left Australia midway through construction and never returned to see his masterpiece completed – a building that, according to Frank Gehry, ‘changed the image of an entire country’.

This souvenir guide traces the history of this extraordinary building – one that is synonymous with inspiration and imagination – through a beautifully realised combination of photography, text and quotes.