“Come sail your ships around me, And burn your bridges down”
This Friday marks the 50th anniversary of the opening on the Sydney Opera House.
While not a boating story, it’s boating related in so many ways; Surrounded by Australia’s most recognisable sailing ground, emblematic of the canvas of wind powered craft and designed by people with maritime history running through their veins.
To get an idea of the trials and complexity of the journey of designing and constructing Australia most famous building you could do worse than listen to Richard Fidler’s 2018 Interview with Helen Pitt, author of “The House”
“Jorn Utzon adopted methods used in boat building because his father was a very well known boat builder in Scandinavia. Aage designed a thing called the Aalborg dinghy, which was … used throughout the world, in Sea Scout circles…. His father was a really keen observer of nature as as as was Utzon himself. Utzon was dyslexic. so he's very much an Einstein kind of character. He didn't read much he was very tactile, he drew beautifully and he imagined the building into existence. I love the fact he's the son of a boat builder and this is why the Opera House, I suppose, the idea that you can have a shape that's not unlike the prow of a ship can can be can exist rather than another concrete box which was all the rage at the time.”
And if you are interested in finding out more about the relationship between Aage, his son Jorn and their maritime heritage go back to Charlie Salter’s wonderful 2021 article in an early edition of SWS.
Jorn Sailing
Many of you might remember the 2011 “Ship Song Project”. For me it was an instant dopamine hit with contributions from Neil Finn, Kev Carmody, Sarah Blasko, Angus and Julia Stone, Paul Kelly, The Temper Trap, Daniel Johns and the Australian Chamber Orchestra amongst other.
Well for the 50th anniversary one of my favourite Australians, Tim Minchin performs what could loosely be descibed as a sequel, 12 years on. In this minor masterpiece, released only two days ago, we get to revel in Minchin’s intricate lyrics and ironic delivery, while the whole time admiring the motivation behind Australia’s most famous building.