Collie — Coal Transition
Western Australia, 2025
Collie is a regional town in Western Australia shaped for decades by coal-fired power generation. As state-owned power stations move toward closure, the town is negotiating a transition that is economic, social, and deeply personal.
This project documents people, places, and systems involved in that shift. Rather than focusing on the moment of closure itself, the work looks at how transition is experienced in everyday settings: workplaces, training environments, domestic spaces, and emerging infrastructure.
The images aim to make visible processes that are often abstracted in policy discussions — the practical work of adaptation, reskilling, and community redefinition — and to situate them within the lived reality of a town in change.
The coal mine at the heart of Collie’s industry, employment and historic identity.
One of the coal-fired power stations fed by the coal mine and destined for closure in the coming years.
Daniel Graham’s job is helping workers transition from jobs in the coal-fired power destined for closure into new roles. Daniel is pictured with a mural in the town centre based on a photograph taken by his coal-mining Grandfather.
A new industry for Collie as coal fades is graphite of the highest global standard (shown here at International Graphite), a key ingredient in lithium-iron batteries, creating new high value jobs.
Jason and Sarah Stanley own and operate the Crown Hotel. Jason moved from being a power station operator, and Sarah from being Shire President, to buying a local pub.
As renewable energy replaces coal, batteries play a key role in keeping the electricity system stable, with Collie being home to two major projects.
The sun setting on coal’s legacy as the region opens itself to change.