Sydney OPT

[Sparky74]

I usually have the car radio tuned to ABC Radio National. As a result I often hear only part of a program, sometimes just a snippet. 
The other day they were talking about the Sydney Opera House. Apparently yesterday (Friday 20th October) was the 50th anniversary of its opening. 
They were saying that before it was built Bennalong Point had been set aside to build the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Who knew? 🤷‍♂️

[Cbtours]

2 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

I usually have the car radio tuned to ABC Radio National. As a result I often hear only part of a program, sometimes just a snippet. 
The other day they were talking about the Sydney Opera House. Apparently yesterday (Friday 20th October) was the 50th anniversary of its opening. 
They were saying that before it was built Bennalong Point had been set aside to build the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Who knew? 🤷‍♂️

That would have been a whole different perspective!!!!

[arxcards]

Easy fix for our new cruise terminal. 

OPT = Opera Passenger Terminal

[Chiliburn]

3 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

I usually have the car radio tuned to ABC Radio National. As a result I often hear only part of a program, sometimes just a snippet. 
The other day they were talking about the Sydney Opera House. Apparently yesterday (Friday 20th October) was the 50th anniversary of its opening. 
They were saying that before it was built Bennalong Point had been set aside to build the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Who knew? 🤷‍♂️

@gbenjo

[Sparky74]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

Easy fix for our new cruise terminal. 

OPT = Opera Passenger Terminal

Some people already have a negative view of cruise ships and the cruise industry. Could you imagine if someone seriously suggested turning the Opera House into a cruise terminal? 😱

[arxcards]

8 minutes ago, Sparky74 said:

Some people already have a negative view of cruise ships and the cruise industry. Could you imagine if someone seriously suggested turning the Opera House into a cruise terminal? 😱

Yes, it could become the most magnificent departure hall in the world, and your cruise will never be over till the fat lady sings.

[Cbtours]

18 minutes ago, Sparky74 said:

Some people already have a negative view of cruise ships and the cruise industry. Could you imagine if someone seriously suggested turning the Opera House into a cruise terminal? 😱

Well it would make a change from everything else they keep whinging about 😆😆😆😇

[arxcards]

Prior to the Opera House, the area was a tram terminus - and wharves. I am a fan of the Opera House, but it was only built there because they felt the wharves were redundant. Short-sighted I would say, as port land is finite and opera singers don't need the water.

 

 

[arxcards]

The above is from 1903, this is from 1935

 

[maggielou362]

They are fabulous photos, arxcards. Thanks for sharing them.

[MicCanberra]

6 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

I usually have the car radio tuned to ABC Radio National. As a result I often hear only part of a program, sometimes just a snippet. 
The other day they were talking about the Sydney Opera House. Apparently yesterday (Friday 20th October) was the 50th anniversary of its opening. 
They were saying that before it was built Bennalong Point had been set aside to build the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Who knew? 🤷‍♂️

Yes, very glad they didn't build it there, it would have been inadequate by now any wat as well as being nowhere near as beautiful as the Opera house.

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

Prior to the Opera House, the area was a tram terminus - and wharves. I am a fan of the Opera House, but it was only built there because they felt the wharves were redundant. Short-sighted I would say, as port land is finite and opera singers don't need the water.

 

 

I was aware of the tram terminus, the ABC had a great program on the history of the Opera house, if it wasn't for an Election and the big push by Cahill, it would never have happened.

[gbenjo]

7 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

I usually have the car radio tuned to ABC Radio National. As a result I often hear only part of a program, sometimes just a snippet. 
The other day they were talking about the Sydney Opera House. Apparently yesterday (Friday 20th October) was the 50th anniversary of its opening. 
They were saying that before it was built Bennalong Point had been set aside to build the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Who knew? 🤷‍♂️

 

4 hours ago, Chiliburn said:

@gbenjo

Sounds like more Speculation to me. 

[arxcards]

57 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

I was aware of the tram terminus, the ABC had a great program on the history, if it wasn't for an Election and the big push by Cahill, it would never have happened.

And the contrast is the road across the front of the Quay with his name on it. Nice to see Bennalong Point being gentrified, but the Cahill expressway is definitely an opposite tack.

[aussielozzie18]

From the excellent “The People’s House” Sydney Opera House 50th Birthday Exhibition currently on at the Museum of Sydney.  Worth a look at this free exhibition if you happen to be in Sydney very soon.

 

 

 

[aussielozzie18]

View of the OPT and Opera House today with the Grand Princess docked.

 

 

 

Loved the Jacarandas in Sydney right now.  Photos taken from Circular Quay train station platform this morning.

[arxcards]

Part of our plans for our pre-cruise day in a couple of weeks.

[MicCanberra]

Always nice to see the purple trees.

[arxcards]

4 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Yes, very glad they didn't build it there, it would have been inadequate by now any wat as well as being nowhere near as beautiful as the Opera house.

The OPT as is has been upgraded so many times to keep it current. My point is that someone around 70 years ago decided that was a good spot to put an Opera House, which was way out of character to the surrounding buildings and the wharves that were taken out of service. We love it for what it has been for 50 years, but it wasn't there for the first 150 years of the settlement.

 

From the pic, OPT's side of the quay has been modified significantly to provide a single flat edged wharf for bigger ships. Sections have been infilled, and additional piers have been sunk. On the eastern side, that bit filled-in would still fit the largest ships in the world, and have plenty of room to embark & provision them. Yes, in 1959, who would have thought there would ever be passenger ships that wouldn't fit under the bridge. Would it be nice to fill that bit in? Probably not, but there is next to no natural shoreline anywhere around the quay, and the tank stream flows in somewhere under ferry wharf 6.

 

[lyndarra]

I have a photo somewhere, of the Opera House, that I snapped in 1973. I still haven't been inside it even though I have been to Squidley umpteen times. One day, perhaps.