Waxworks museum Madame Tussauds opened a centre in Sydney yesterday with Australian personalities Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman sharing the stage with Barack Obama and Lady Gaga.

It has taken a staggering 56,000 hours of work to create the collection of over 70 figures on display

The world-famous London attraction set up shop in tourist precinct Darling Harbour after 56,000 hours of work creating the 70 figures on display.

“Madame Tussauds is synonymous with history, heritage and fine artistry and we’re so excited that we can finally welcome such an iconic attraction to Sydney,” said general manager Hywel Mathais.

It took an incredible 60 artists about 800 hours to create a single figure, he said.

“I’ve got a dedicated team who literally spend all the time re-touching and making them perfect, keeping it all 100 per cent right,” Mr Mathias said.

Other waxworks featured include Hollywood A-listers Leonardo Di Caprio and Angelina Jolie, TV host Oprah Winfrey, Queen Elizabeth II and Australians Elle Macpherson and Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan.

Madame Tussauds first opened its doors nearly 200 years ago in London and has since expanded across the globe.

The magic of Madame Tussaud

• Millions of people have flocked through the doors of Madame Tussauds since it opened in London nearly 200 years ago.

• The museum’s roots date back to Paris in 1770 where Marie Tussaud learnt to model wax figures under the tutelage of her mentor Dr Philippe Curtius.

• At the age of 17, she became art tutor to King Louis XVI’s sister at the Palace of Versailles and during the French Revolution, was forced to prove her allegiance to the nobles by making the death masks of executed aristocrats.

• She arrived in Britain in the early 19th century with a travelling exhibition of effigies of public heroes and rogues, providing insight into global events and bringing the ordinary people face-to-face with the famous in the headlines.

• In 1835, the exhibition established a permanent base in London.

• The attraction moved to its present site in Marylebone Road in 1884.