Sydney Opera House: The one man on speed dial for 50 years

Terry Harper has been tuning pianos in the iconic venue since he was a teen - a family legacy started by his dad.

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The outside forecourt has been blanketed by thousands of bare bodies in the name of art and, inside, an only slightly less naked Arnold Schwarzenegger even won a body-building title. There have been renovations and controversies, protests staged and history made.

And the constant, through it all, is Terry Harper.

He's been tuning the building's pianos for half a century, working behind the scenes to make sure the uber-technical instruments are ready for the world's best musicians.

It's a family legacy started by his father when the Opera House first opened in 1973 - and one that ended this week, with Terry's retirement.