OA offers fans the chance to dive into 60 years of opera history – and bid to take a piece of it home.

For the first time in its 60-year history, Opera Australia is opening up its vaults to the public, giving opera fans the chance to get an up-close look at some of the extraordinary costumes worn by the company’s star performers.

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The week-long, 60th anniversary exhibition, which takes place this month, will also include accessories, memorabilia and artworks, and will culminate in an auction where the public can bid for a piece of Australia’s operatic story.

Promising “a hidden world too wonderful to imagine”, the exhibition will offer an insight into the making of meticulously hand-crafted items like intricate embroidered silk, pannier skirts and medieval suits of armour. Custom-designed wardrobe items, each created for a specific production, are expected to be the most sought after. Each costume will be labelled with its provenance, the name of the opera, and the performer it was made for.

Opera Australia engaged textile and memorabilia experts from renowned auction house Leonard Joel to...