Splashed upon the walls of the University of Newcastle, a new art exhibit will spotlight the Hunter people leading the energy transformation.
Titled The people and places powering Australia's future, the photography display features locations, engineers, professors, industry leaders and community members from Newcastle up to Muswellbrook.
The series captures the drive towards net zero which centres on replacing energy systems reliant on fossil fuels with one that uses renewables.
Sydney-based photographer Katherine Griffiths was commissioned by the government's Net Zero Economy Agency to frame the faces of the Hunter's energy transition.
"It was about honouring the history associated with the region and showcasing and documenting what was and what will be," Ms Griffiths said.
As well as technology leaders, she also wanted to focus on community leaders, school students and teachers, and anyone passionate about moving forward with renewable energy,
One photo captures a coal train mural in Kurri Kurri, while another spotlights a local woman outside her home with a cup of tea.
"These kinds of conversations about net zero, they're just conversations you can have with your next-door neighbour," she said.
"The purpose of the exhibition is to really help connect and allow the community to understand a bit more net zero and what this transformation is."
Ms Griffiths said it was important to document Australia's history and the massive industry in Newcastle that was driving the transformation into renewable energy.
"No-one likes change but it has to start somewhere," she said.
The exhibit features 25 photos from sunset over the Port of Newcastle to power lines at the Liddell power station and landscapes from the former Muswellbrook coal mine.
Grace Dunning from St Philip's Christian College won a photo competition for all Hunter high school students and her work, Head in the Clouds, will also be displayed at the exhibit.
Opportunities, not challenges
Co-founder of EM Energy Isabel Toasa felt "honoured" to be involved in the project as an innovator in the sustainability field.
Her start-up invented the Organic Hydrogen Electrolyser Cell which produced hydrogen from organic waste including food, vegetation and coal tailings without using electricity or heat.
"We produce hydrogen based on an organic, chemical reaction, so it is very sustainable," she said.
Ms Toasa said their process decentralised sources of energy as their method of producing hydrogen could be deployed anywhere.
"It helps communities do these things themselves, and industries that are very remote, can use their own waste to produce hydrogen and use it for their own facilities," she said.
Ms Toasa moved from Ecuador to Australia in 2019 to seek more equal opportunities as an inventor and engineer.
Her husband and business co-founder, Chris Wilson, said the couple relocated to Newcastle at the start of 2024.
"What's really exciting is that we see tremendous amounts of opportunity here where others might see challenges," Mr Wilson said.
The exhibition opens at the McLarty Room, Shortland Building, University of Newcastle from Wednesday, November 13 to Friday, November 29.
It is free to enter and will be open from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.
