Leeton has so many iconic buildings.
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They form the heart of our town. Like our Historic Hydro.
As writer-in-residence at the Hydro now for nearly nine months, I have the privilege of calling this beautiful, majestic building my temporary home.
Its long wide hallways, its broad verandahs and views for miles, its elegant foyer and heritage style rooms, its nooks and crannies, its warm, wood-lined bar, its ballroom chandeliers and dining room historical grandeur - a place of history and inspiration.
A place for writers and creative people, romantics and story tellers, for guests seeking comfort and elegance, travellers, characters.
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I never get tired of walking in the heavy front door of the Hydro, but the other day, I saw our Hydro through the eyes of strangers and it renewed my sense of just how lucky we are.
Our everyday lives in Leeton are so entwined with all our historic buildings - so unique yet so familiar - it sometimes takes an outsider's reaction to remind us how unique we are.
A couple, travelling through from Sydney, came upon the Hydro unexpectedly, and had to stop.
They could not believe their eyes. This grand hotel, in the heart of town, evoking for them an earlier time, a time of Art Deco pizzaz, of Edwardian grandeur, provoking a genuine sense of excitement and wonder.
"Sorry to interrupt," they said to me when they found me working alone in the ballroom, where I sat seeking extra inspiration for writing.
"We were passing through town and could not believe our eyes. We saw this place. We had to stop. Amazing. We would love to have a look around. We would love to stay here sometime".
I took them back out to the foyer to find the manager, and chatted to them about the history of the building, about being writer-in-residence, and the Historic Hydro Writers Collective we have created, and about our Australian Art Deco Festival and the murder mystery night at the Hydro, in the halcyon days before COVID.
Their eyes lit up. "Ohhh," they said, looking at one another.
"We could bring our whole family here. How wonderful that would be. How wonderful to have a building like this in your town, that supports writing and writers, and exciting cultural events like the Art Deco Festival. It would be a dream to come back and stay here".
Thank you, Ingrid and Rodney. You, like many other visitors to Leeton, recognize something so very unique about the Hydro. A place where dreams are made.
The site of hundreds of marriages, thousands of birthday parties, thousands of hellos and farewells, more than a hundred years of conversation, connection, friendship, where deals are done and people have found repose; a place that has hosted royalty and artists, amongst many others, a place full of history and stories.
That is what makes it the perfect home for the Historic Hydro Writers Collective, why the group is going from strength to strength and producing some amazing writing, and why we are holding the second Hydro Writing Retreat in a few weeks time.
Stay tuned - this will be a writing retreat for all comers, where we write and discuss writing, and explore themes of Australian Gothic.
We will also be holding a performance night at The Freckled Duck, and our very first publication of the group's writing is out soon.
It is amazing what a building like the Hydro can unlock for a town like ours. Come and see it anew.
For more information about the group contact 0404 348 277 or sarah.tiffen93@gmail.com.
