The Opera House: The extraordinary story of the building that symbolises Australia the people, the secrets, the scandals and the sheer genius

On a sacred site on the land of the Gadigal people, Tubowgule, a place

of gathering and storytelling for over 60,000 years, now sits the Sydney

Opera House. It is a breathtaking building recognised around the world

as a symbol of modern Australia. Along with the Taj Mahal and other

World Heritage sites, it is celebrated for its architectural grandeur

and the daring and innovation of its design.

But this stunning house on what is now called Bennelong Point also holds

many sorrows, secrets and scandals. In this fascinating and impeccably

researched biography, Peter FitzSimons exposes these secrets, marvels at

how this magnificent building came to be, details its enthralling history and

reveals the dramatic stories about the people whose lives were affected, both

negatively and positively, by its presence. Ambition, dispossession, betrayal,

professional rivalry, sexual intrigue, murder, bullying and breakdowns are

woven into the creation of this masterpiece of human ingenuity.

The Opera House shares the extraordinary stories connected to this

building that are as mesmerising as the light catching on its white sails.