TWO iconic Southampton cruise liners met outside one of the world's most photographed landmarks to celebrate 175 years of Cunard.

Fireworks were set off as the Queen Mary 2 left Sydney Harbour with Queen Victoria coming into the Australian city as they met for the first time outside Sydney Opera House.

Their meeting today took place when an outdoor photo exhibition celebrating Cunard's 175th anniversary, on the forecourt of opera house was unveiled.

Bringing together 70 images the OneSevenFive collection provides a rare look behind the scenes of the Southampton cruise line. The collection includes some famous images taken during maiden visits to Sydney Harbour.

Many behind-the-scenes shots were captured during a 175-hour period late last year when photographer James Morgan travelled between Europe and America to create a visual record for the anniversary.