|
1957
|
|
| Jan 29
|
Premier Cahill announces Jørn Utzon as the winner
of the competition. Second Prize: Joseph Marzella, Leon Loschtter, WW Cunningham, Walter
Weisman, Melvin Brecher, Robert Geddes and George Qualls of the United
States. Third Prize: Boissevain and Osmond of
England.
|
| Feb 16
|
Parks and Playgrounds Movement of New South Wales raises objections to the building of the Opera House on Bennelong Point
Park
|
| Jul 3
|
Premier announces that the Government will proceed
with the building of the Opera House.
|
| Jul 10
|
Premier requests the Lord Mayor to convene a public
meeting to launch an appeal for funds.
|
| Aug 7
|
Public meeting in the Sydney Town Hall sets up the
Sydney Opera House Appeal Fund Committee under the patronage of the NSW
Governor. Mr Mike Todd
offers half the proceeds of the premiere of his film Around the World
In 80 Days to the Opera House Appeal Fund and half to a charity
nominated by the Premier.
|
| Nov 25
|
First Opera House Lottery opens for subscription.
|
| 1958
|
|
| Mar 26
|
Jørn Utzon and Ove Arup arrive in Sydney for
three-week visit to present the Red Book and discuss sketch plans
with the committee and its advisers.
|
| Nov 24
|
Representations made by Collier Jones Lang &
Wooten re the possibility of developing a hotel or office building with
the Opera House project as a business investment. Proposal rejected 13
January 1959 after investigation by the Treasury. |
| 1959
|
|
| Jan 7
|
Actors and Announcers Equity of Australia urges the Government not to build the opera house.
|
| Mar 2
|
Construction begins and
proceeds in three stages: Stage 1 (the podium, 1959-1963), Stage 2 (the
roof and exteriors, 1963-1967) and Stage 3 (the interiors, promenade and
approaches, 1967-1973).
|
| Oct 22
|
JJ Cahill dies from gastric ulcer complications. He is succeeded as NSW Premier by RJ Heffron.
|
| 1961
|
Opera House Trust Act passed 14 March,
setting up an interim corporate body,. the Sydney Opera House Trust, to
ensure proper planning for the completion of the building and subsequent
operations. The Minister of Public Works is nominated president of the
Trust, the Lord Mayer as Vice-President and Mr S Haviland, its Chairman. Other members include, among others, Dame Doris Fitton, Sir
Bernard Heinze, Dr Nikolai Malko, Sir Charles Moses, Professor H. Ingham
Ashworth and Dr Cobden Parkes. The first meeting of the Trust takes
place on 12 April.
|
|
The Sydney Opera House Trust decides to
establish “a music museum in which it will be possible to display
articles of historical interest, particularly ones having an Australian
Association such as costumes worn by the late Nellie Melba in some of
her operatic roles”
|
| 1962
|
Jørn Utzon submits the Yellow Book in
January outlining proposed changes to the roof structure (the so-called
spherical solution).
|
| |
The Sydney Opera House Trust decides to
establish a "music museum in which it will be possible to display
articles of historical interest, particularly ones having an
Australian association such as costumes worn by the late Dame Nellie
Melba." Planning for the museum was deferred.
|
| 1964
|
RJ Heffron resigns as Premier in favour of JB
Renshaw, who becomes Premier on 1 May 1964.
|
| 1965 |
Sir
Robert Askin takes office as Liberal/Country Party Premier of NSW,
May 13.
|
| Dec 19 |
Jazz concert held at the Opera House.
Photographs and poster donated by the Sydney Jazz Club to the Dennis
Wolanski Library and Archives of the Performing Arts in 1988. |
| 1966
|
|
| Feb 28
|
Jørn Utzon withdraws from the Sydney Opera House
project under pressure from the new Minister for Public Works, Davis Hughes.
|
| Mar 28
|
Davis Hughes appoints a new panel architects
to complete the Opera House: Peter
Hall (in charge of design), DS Littlemore (in charge of supervision),
Lionel Todd (in charge of documents) and EH Farmer (Chief Architect of
NSW and chairman of panel). The appointment is announced on 19 April.
|
| Apr 28
|
Jørn Utzon leaves Australia
|
| 1968
|
AL (Stuart) Bacon takes up appointment as first General Manager of the Sydney Opera House in
February.
|
| 1969
|
Sir Phillip Baxter is appointed Chairman after Sydney Opera House Trust reconstituted with reduced membership.
|
