Transcript
Todd Fuller:
I’m Todd Fuller, an artist and animator. I currently work in Sydney, but I was born in Branxton, and I’m here as a part of the LEL Works art program. My art practice is driven by story, line making, and animation. I create hand-drawn films that often deal with regional stories and queer stories, unearthing, sharing, and celebrating unexpected narratives of Australian culture.
I was drawn to this project because my father worked at Liddell for 38 years. The opportunity to connect with him and his colleagues and use art to share their real lived experiences before Liddell is lost and demolished was a really attractive part of this project.
Interviewer:
If I ask you to reflect on your time with Liddell, were there any big achievements or moments that stand out in your mind?
Todd Fuller:
While drawing each subject, we also do an interview, talking about their time, experiences, social networks, antics, and memories. We capture that audio file, pull out the key moments, and alongside the drawing of each person, we include a QR code. The final product allows an audience member or visitor to scan the QR code with their phone and listen to the character they’re looking at, sharing a tidbit from their personal story.
I believe Liddell was the biggest employer of females around here. Can we be frank about what that was like for you?
Interviewee:
It wasn’t well received at all. We had men that did not want you in the workshop. But it was an opportunity for women to get involved in doing a trade or whatever they wanted to at the power station.
Todd Fuller:
Growing up, Liddell was just this place my dad went to in the morning and came home from at night. Like most kids, what your parents do is this magical, mythical thing. This project has been exciting because I’ve gotten to sit down with my dad, have a beer, draw him, and understand where he went for those seven hours every day.
As I became an adult and talked to people about what my parents did and my upbringing, I became conscious of how controversial this industry is, especially being at art school. I was a bit cautious about saying what my dad did because I didn’t want to get into environmental and political conversations. That doesn’t dismiss the importance of those conversations, but the other side is that Liddell created communities, gave livelihoods, and enabled my lifestyle. The roof over my head was because of my father’s work at Liddell.
It’s a complicated project with a series of interviews dealing with both sides of the story. There’s a lot of tension to work through. One of the strong themes is the sense of camaraderie. Liddell went through a journey as the first inland power station of its kind. Incredible technologies were pioneered by these workers to keep the plant running 20 years longer than it should have. This speaks to their innovation, wisdom, intelligence, and camaraderie.
With the closure of Liddell, we see the future of energy in New South Wales and important innovations in energy in Australia, particularly with the renewable energy hub being implemented in this area. Hopefully, this will stabilize the workforce and focus on science, innovation, and the environment. We might see a new chapter of renewable energy in this country driven out of Muswellbrook.
For Hunter locals, it’s exciting to see themselves in this piece, hear familiar stories, and connect with the site. For those outside the Hunter, this project provides a chance to think about Liddell, Muswellbrook, and the Hunter Valley from a human perspective. This isn’t just a political and environmental war game; it’s about people’s lives, livelihoods, existence, and values. That’s something really exciting to share and delve into.
