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The public is warmly invited to attend the unveiling of an illuminated bench seat marking the closure of the iconic Liddell Power Station.

The remarkable work has been created by artist-blacksmith Will Maguire, much of it “smithed” from pieces collected from the Liddell site. Its intriguing design includes two smokestacks like the power station itself, and a journey from coal to generator to wires.

The work was commissioned as a piece of public art by Arts Upper Hunter. “It’s an unusual and significant artwork,” according to AUH director John O’Brien, “exploring the journey of electricity – it even lights up!”

The bench will be unveiled on the second anniversary of the shutdown of Liddell’s last generator in 2023.

The bench seat is one of the last elements in the Liddellworks creative program, marking the closure. A partnership between AGL, Arts Upper Hunter, Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre and Singleton Arts + Cultural Centre, this huge multi-artform program honoured the legacy of the workers but still spoke to the future.

Liddellworks, including the bench seat, was funded by the Department of Regional NSW’s Stronger Country Communities Fund and supported by AGL. Muswellbrook Shire Council have contributed time, engineering and staff to getting the seat in place.