Archives and Exhibitions at Aquarius50 Festival

By Gregory Bork, PhD candidate at Southern Cross University (SCU)
with Franca Wolfe, Librarian at Richmond Tweed Regional Library (RTRL)
Katie Cawcutt, Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Inc. (NAFI)
Graeme Batterbury, co-curator of the Rainbow Dreaming exhibition
Adele Wessell, Associate Professor in History at Southern Cross University
Rob Garbutt, original member of the Aquarian Archives Inc.

Acknowledgement

I acknowledge the Bundjalung People as the Traditional Owners of this land, this beautiful place where the rainforest meets the sea, and their abiding relationship of care with Bundjalung Country since time before memory. I pay my respects to Bundjalung Elders past and present. I thank Stuart Barlo and the Gnibi Elders at Southern Cross University. I extend my respect to all Indigenous and First Nations Peoples.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers should be aware that this report contains images and names of deceased persons. Sections pending Bundjalung approval are not included in this version.

Introduction

From 12-21 May, 2023 I (Greg) curated and organised a community exhibition and sharing space for stories and archives about Nimbin Aquarius in the Community School room at the Nimbin Community Centre as part of the Aquarius50 Festival.

Aquarius50 celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival. In this report I talk about the archiving project as the Archives at Aquarius50. The report includes community feedback, significant partners and contributors, preparations, a walk through the exhibition, and at the end is an appendix containing a list of significant Aquarius archives in the community.

Funding

The Archives at Aquarius50 did not seek funding from the Aquarius50 organising group. It was self-funded through merchandise sales in collaboration with Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Incorporated (NAFI). Costs were covered and no profits were made.

Community Feedback

There was no formal feedback process implemented for the Archives at Aquarius50. The Archives at Aquarius50 steadily gathered momentum throughout the duration of Aquarius50, and by the final day I had received good verbal feedback.

Several people asked if the Archives at Aquarius50 was permanent and expressed disappointment that it would end with Aquarius50. One person visited three times and said she still hadn’t had enough time to explore everything she wanted to. Several people spent substantial time in the Archives at Aquarius50 space, one spending an entire day and another watched films for several hours. More than one person described the space as like a library. As people settled into the Archives at Aquarius50 they entered a state of contemplation in a quiet, comfortable and informal atmosphere.

The Archives at Aquarius50 attracted not only Aquarians, but also “old settlers” who were in Nimbin before the Aquarius movement, who lamented the lack of a museum in Nimbin. I noticed that conversations flowed between visitors from different backgrounds who connected with each other through the Archives at Aquarius50.

By the final day the Archives at Aquarius50 space was attracting about as many visitors as I could manage. As I was packing up the Archives at Aquarius50 two people arrived asking after it and expressed disappointment that they’d missed out.
Support from the community was very generous and I think the Archives at Aquarius50 was a success by any measure.

Project Partner – Franca Wolfe

I first met Franca Wolfe while rummaging through the Aquarian Archive collection in the garage of the Research branch of the Richmond Tweed Regional Library in preparation for the October 2022 40th Anniversary of the Nightcap protest anniversary exhibition and event. Franca was part of the 1982 Nightcap logging blockade and contributed her own photos and original artworks to that exhibition.

Every day of Aquarius50, Franca Wolfe attended the Aquarius Archive space as a volunteer. Franca also volunteered for the Friends of Aquarius50 organising group before and after Aquarius50. For the Archives at Aquarius50 Franca arranged to loan a replica of the well-known signpost from the 1973 festival that was made for the Nimbin Visitors’ Centre (since closed), along with two large display boards with photos and stories describing the 1973 festival to visitors.

Photographer Peter Derrett was pleased to re-connect with one of these display boards as it showcases his photography, and he did not know what had happened to it after the visitor centre closed.

Franca also brought in her personal collection of archives to share. Her depth of knowledge as a long-standing member of the community, former employee of the Visitors Centre, and current librarian at Richmond Tweed Regional Library was invaluable to me and to many visitors.

About the Author – Greg Bork

I served as Secretary of the Aquarius50 Organising Committee before working as Festival Administrator. As Aquarius50 became increasingly decentralised, I chose to self-organise the Archives project.

My research at Southern Cross University, particularly at Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples, focuses on the relationship between Aquarians and Bundjalung people and the role of story in caring for Country.

During Aquarius50, people began referring to me as “our archivist.” While I lack formal archival qualifications, I am committed to community-based care of these stories.

Preparation

Many years of research prepared me for the Archives at Aquarius50 project. In the lead up to Aquarius50 I met several times with Adele Wessell and Rob Garbutt to discuss the current state of archives relating to Nimbin Aquarius, and together we met with Brett Adlington, CEO of Museums & Galleries of NSW and with Robert Smith from Richmond River Historical Society.

With Benny Zable, President of Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Incorporated (NAFI), in October 2022 I co-created a week long community archival exhibition in the foyer of the Nimbin Town Hall to mark the 40th anniversary of the Nightcap protest, a direct action in 1982 by the Nimbin Aquarius community to halt logging of rainforest at Griers Scrub and then Mt Nardi. People began to trust me with their stories. John Seed donated a substantial archive from the collection of the Rainforest Information Centre. Lisa Yeates, Michael Murphy, Ian Dixon, Megan Murphy, Franca Wolfe and others added to the exhibition. Some of these items were loaned and I am yet to digitise and return them. The success of this exhibition became my template for Archives at Aquarius50 in May 2023.

During this exhibition I found that the street was a good place to share archives with local Aboriginal people, who shared stories and feelings and were supportive, approving the inclusion of photos of their ancestors in the exhibition.

Karen Welsh at Nimbin Artists Gallery loaned equipment and helped with the day-to-day logistics of the October 2022 exhibition. The Nimbin Artists Gallery then offered to hold a similar exhibition in the same space for the duration of their Nimbin Art Fair in the Town Hall from 9-25 April, 2023, in preparation for and to promote Aquarius50 in the community. My attendance was infrequent because I was assisting to prepare multiple projects for Aquarius50, but the exhibition grew and evolved, in effect pre-launching Aquarius50.

Prior to Aquarius50 I informed the community and promoted the Archives at Aquarius50 with articles in the Nimbin Good Times and interviews on Bay FM, Nim FM and ABC North Coast. I provided archives for sponsorship and promotional packs used for fundraising for Aquarius50. I assisted journalist Heath Gilmore from the Sydney Morning Herald with research for an article on Aquarius50. I created an “archives” page on the aquarius50.com.au website developed by Ben Hartley (see Appendix B).

I secured a home for Archives at Aquarius50 at the Community School, or “Comskool”, in the Nimbin Community Centre. The Comskool room was also, and continues to be, the regular meeting place for Friends of Aquarius50, NAFI and other community meetings. President of the Nimbin Community School Judy Hale welcomed the Archives at Aquarius50 in the Comskool space, was present every day and helped in many ways.

The committee of the Nimbin Community Centre including Diana Roberts and Wil Polson were supportive, providing additional hanging space in the corridor outside. Theresa Biscoe, Coordinator of the Community Centre gave encouragement and support throughout the project, helping to connect it with the community.

Jagad Samuel from Flourish Sanctuary loaned a large monitor to screen films. Nimbin Central School loaned five display boards. National Parks and Wildlife Service loaned two large display boards as a reciprocal gesture for my assistance with archives for their Nightcap National Park 40th anniversary event in June. Tess Schofield helped to arrange and dress the space and with Lae Oldmeadow created a giant peace symbol for the entry from the street, one of many installed around Nimbin for Aquarius50. Tor Davis arranged a banner for the entrance. All of the Friends of Aquarius50 and NAFI provided generous support in many ways.

One notable exhibition that I spent some time attempting to find a secure venue for in Nimbin, but which did not eventuate, was for Leila Wedd’s series of The Greentime paintings. Leila wished that they return to Nimbin from whence the concept of this, her life’s work, originated at the 1973 festival. Leila ended up staying with me in Nimbin and participating throughout Aquarius50 festival.

Collecting and Sharing Process

President of the Nimbin School of Arts David Hallett promoted Archives at Aquarius50 with frequent announcements over the loudspeaker at the Information Centre. Black Diamond provided invaluable support with grass roots community engagement and in photographing me in my efforts, then sending me the photos.

Lea Jellinek filmed the Archives at Aquarius50 space as part of local filmmakers Jeni Kendell and Paul Tait’s extensive coordinated effort to record and broadcast Aquarius50. Their collected videos of Aquarius50 now on Youtube are the most valuable record of Aquarius50, and part of Kendell and Tait’s fifty year legacy and archive documenting the Nimbin Aquarius community. Prior to Aquarius50 Kendell and Tait assembled several short films featuring archival footage for promotion and fundraising. They also filmed external Aquarius-related community events before and after Aquarius50 including the Nightcap blockade 40th anniversary event at Nimbin Town Hall in October 2022 and the Nightcap National Park 40th anniversary celebration in June 2023. Several of their photos are in the Bundjalung / Aquarius display book described later. They are significant contributors to my own research from their rich collection of archives and with personal participation over several years.

I was not resourced to record people’s verbal stories at the Archives at Aquarius50 space myself. I also think that recording devices can sometimes detract from the intimacy and cultural safety of a sharing space.

During Aquarius50 I arranged with filmmaker Wendy Champagne to be her contact point for people wishing to be recorded, on the days she was in Nimbin making her film about Aquarius. Filmmaker Beverley Callow also made connections for her own film project through the Archives at Aquarius50. Filmmaker Darren Hanlon returned to the Archives at Aquarius50 several times to research his film about Black Allan Barker, an Aboriginal man from Western Australia who performed at the 1973 festival and lived at Nimbin for some time afterwards.

One story I recorded myself for Aquarius50 was that of Tony Barry. In late 2022 a mutual friend told me Tony had stories to share about the 1973 Festival before he died, and I went to his bedside to record them. I was invited by Johnny Allen to present on Tony’s behalf at the Aquarius50 Elders’ dinner.

Many photos, artworks, films and other artefacts were collected throughout the course of the Archives at Aquarius50. All of these I offered to digitise and return, however many people wanted to donate items that they no longer wished to continue to archive in their personal collections.

The remainder of this report details the collections that made up the Archives at Aquarius50, and also includes information about related archival exhibitions and projects at other venues that together make up the wider, dispersed Aquarian archives.

Bundjalung / Aquarius Display Book

In the lead up to Aquarius50 I thought about how to share my own research in progress with Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples at Southern Cross University.

At first I hoped to collaborate with Gilbert Laurie on an exhibition for the Nimbin Aboriginal Cultural Centre, however that did not eventuate and the Cultural Centre was not fully open during Aquarius50. I decided to create a display book tracing the relationship between Bundjalung People and Aquarians through the 1973 Aquarius Festival until today, so that it could be used to make an exhibition at the Cultural Centre later, or shared in whatever way the local Bundjalung community would like. I arranged this book as a series of short, succinct stories from people in the community, drawn from existing archives. QR codes linked to videos and online articles for more in-depth archives and stories. Most of the stories I’ve recorded in my research at Southern Cross University are about the relationship between Aquarians and Bundjalung people, so I was glad to share some of my research in the Bundjalung / Aquarius display book.

With Gilbert’s approval I created another copy of the display book for the Archives at Aquarius50. This perhaps drew the most attention of any display, and was very well received by visitors. I also created another copy intended for the Cultural Centre. Paul Tait and Jeni Kendell loaned a monitor so that the footage of Bundjalung People at the 1973 festival could be played there too. In the meantime, Lea Jellinek arranged donation of a monitor from Officeworks in Lismore for the Cultural Centre. This monitor, a DVD/media player and the display book remains with the Cultural Centre, which has a collection of its own DVDs that can also be played on the equipment.

I’ve had many informal yarns with Mahlie Bayles from the Cultural Centre, including about looking after their own collections, and also had an informal yarn about the Nimbin Aboriginal Cultural Centre and its collections with Stuart Barlo at Gnibi College.

Bundjalung film

In August 2022, the first archive I organised for Aquarius50 was footage of the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius festival that includes Bundjalung People by filmmakers Jeune Pritchard and Megan McMurchy, now in the collection of the National Film and Sound Archive.

McMurchy and Pritchard gave permission for community screenings of the footage in the lead up to and at Aquarius50, which unfortunately they were not able to attend in person. My attempts to organise formal screenings did not come to fruition. I played the footage most days in the Archives at Aquarius50 space, however the primary mode of sharing the footage with Widjabul Wia-bal people was on my mobile phone on the street in Nimbin.

Rhoda Roberts mentioned additional footage from the 1973 festival she had seen, of Aboriginal people on horseback during a procession through town. I asked many people but was unable to locate this footage.

NAFI Collections

Katie Cawcutt (NAFI) loaned a series of display books of archives of Nimbin Aquarius anniversary events, which she assembled with volunteer Tess Schofield. She also loaned the Nimbinnovations exhibition from the 40th anniversary celebrations curated by Graham Irvine, and a collection of laminated photos of the 1973 festival by Gary Opit. This collection was the largest component of the Archives at Aquarius50, filling wall space as other archives were printed for display.

The archiving space for Aquarius50 aligned with the Aims and Objectives of the Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Incorporated (NAFI), who I collaborated with closely at all times. Together we helped organise and promote parts of the Aquarius50 anniversary celebration (aim and objective 1). Archives at Aquarius50 established a space in Nimbin for a community arts project housing a library of Aquarius archives, albeit temporarily (aim and objective 4). We encouraged cultural exchange with the local Bundjalung Aboriginal Community (aim and objective 5). We collected and displayed archival material (aim and objective 6).

Katie Cawcutt also provided invaluable advice and experience from her community work and thirty years holding space for NAFI at the Bark Hut in the Nimbin Community Centre.

Aquarian Archive Collections

The Aquarian Archive Incorporated was a not-for-profit association established in 2004 for preserving the history of the people who arrived in the region after the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival, and to keep this archive within the region.

The Aquarian Archives included diverse collections held at various locations in the community, with the largest collection housed at the Southern Cross University Library. When Southern Cross University deaccessioned its part of the collection it moved into storage at the records branch of the Richmond Tweed Regional Library (RTRL) in Goonellabah, where it remains. RTRL digitised a substantial portion of the collection which can be found on their website.

For Aquarius50 I digitised another collection of the original Aquarian Archive loaned by Dr Rob Garbutt, co-organiser of the 40th anniversary Nimbin Aquarius celebrations in 2013. This collection includes posters, newspaper clippings and original editions of the Nimbin Good Times and Grass Leaves published for the 1973 festival. Filmmaker Wendy Champagne assisted me in the digitisation of these collections, finding many archives relevant to her own research for her film about Aquarius.

A selection of the “Rainbow Posters” exhibition from the Aquarian Archive was exhibited at Southern Cross University library for the duration of Aquarius50, in collaboration with librarian Libby Pownall who co-curated the same exhibition for the 40th anniversary of Aquarius with Graham Irvine. Katie Cawcutt found the original captions for the posters in a box at NAFI, which are now re-united with the posters. Libby Pownall donated the digital captions for both the Rainbow Posters and Nimbinnovations exhibitions.

Rainbow Dreaming Exhibition

I collaborated with Graeme Batterbury and Harsha Prabhu in bringing the Rainbow Dreaming exhibition to Aquarius50. During this preparation Harsha found original negatives and prints of the 1973 festival from photographer Paul White, who had otherwise lost most of his belongings in the 2022 floods.

The online version of Rainbow Dreaming is at rainbowdreaming.org. A similar, earlier exhibition Some Children of the Dream was first exhibited at the 20th anniversary of Nimbin Aquarius in 1993, and is now a major part of the Aquarian Archive collection at the RTRL. Lismore Regional Gallery was devastated by the floods of 2022, losing another version of the Rainbow Dreaming exhibition. These Rainbow Dreaming and Some Children of the Dream collections about the legacy of Nimbin Aquarius are the centrepieces of the archive.

Graeme Batterbury wrote this report on Rainbow Dreaming at Aquarius50:

The ‘Rainbow Dreaming – Tales of the Age of Aquarius’ exhibition was held in the Nimbin School of Arts from Friday 12th through to Sunday 21st May, 2023.

The process of establishing a venue for the exhibition was protracted and convoluted, but in the true spirit of Aquarius, everything came together at the last moment and the exhibition was staged in the centre of town where it deserved to be.

Peter Derrett’s Aquarius 73 images were also displayed in the Nimbin School of Arts building. These images portray the original Aquarius Festival. Rainbow Dreaming explores the legacy of that festival and the evolution of the alternate movement on the north coast of NSW. Together the two exhibitions showcased the Aquarian culture stemming out of the 1973 festival and spreading through to the present.

The exhibition was well-patronised. The spirit of Aquarius is well represented by the exhibition and both long-time Nimbin residents and visitors spent a considerable amount of time reading the text and viewing the images.

Sincere thanks to David Hallett for facilitating the exhibition and being readily available with help and guidance during set-up and pack-down.

The exhibition is available in book form and a good number of books were sold, allowing people to “take the exhibition home”. Many of the books were sold by the volunteers on the Information Centre in the foyer of the School of Arts hall. Thanks especially go to Pauline Ahern for her commitment.

The exhibition is currently stored in the Bark Hut of the Nimbin Community Centre, awaiting inclusion in the Aquarian Archive which has been proposed for Nimbin town. The funds for such an archive are yet to be raised, but with appropriate funding the dream can surely be realised.

Peter Derrett exhibition

Fifty one of Peter Derrett’s photographs of the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival were presented as an exhibition by the Lismore Regional Gallery in the Nimbin Town Hall. The original negatives were scanned at high resolution, Peter Derrett meticulously cleaned them digitally, and they were printed, framed and hung in collaboration with Lismore Regional Gallery curator Kezia Geddes.

Mobile Library

Gary from Richmond Tweed Regional Library mobile library organised a presentation of archives for digital display during his regular Thursday in Nimbin during the festival. As I understand it most of this material was drawn from the Rainbow Archives at the State Library of NSW, including the Amplify audio interviews that were recorded at the 1993 20th anniversary.

Nimbin Architectural Studio Presentation 1973

Perhaps the most substantial and significant accession through the Archives at Aquarius50 is the student assignment report following the 1973 festival by the Nimbin UNSW Architectural Studio Group of 1973.

The Nimbin Architectural Studio Presentation 1973 was re-presented at an event in Sydney following Aquarius50. One of the students, Mark Baxter, brought a copy of the presentation in a display book with him to Nimbin for Aquarius50, where it became part of the Archives at Aquarius50.

Over half of this 100 page volume is preamble about the preparation, logistics, administration, and ethos of the 1973 festival, and is likely the most comprehensive record of and reflection on what occurred at the festival, while it was fresh in the minds of participants. Baxter provided the display book to the Archives at Aquarius50 on the understanding that his Group retains copyright, and that it is not to be digitised or copied. The next step is to provide Baxter with an accession agreement putting this in writing.

This need for an accession agreement demonstrates the pressing concern of how Aquarius archives are looked after into the future. It is not suitable to simply digitise the archives and present them online only. This item can only be shared with the community in person, requiring an access and display plan for the collection. It also requires a preservation and climate controlled collection repository plan, along with all archives relating to Aquarius that remain in the region.

Mornington Island Dancers

In October 2022 I contacted Peter Cleary, a long time collaborator with the Mornington Island Dance Group who performed at the 1973 festival.

I sent all photographs of Aboriginal dancers at the 1973 festival that I could find to Cleary, who confirmed that they were all Mornington Islanders, and that none of them were still alive. I notified the photographers for their records. I also notified an academic journal who amended an incorrect photo caption on their web article. I organised a formal invitation to Aquarius50 for the descendants of the Dancers, however the timing, financing and logistics were not feasible.

Queer Stories Display Book

Historian Ian Teacosy Gray donated a display book to Archives at Aquarius50 titled Queer Stories from the Nimbin Valley: The early lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer presence in the Northern Rivers, 1960s to 2000s.

This includes the story of the Mandala collective camp at the Aquarius 10th anniversary Alternative Lifestyle Celebration (including Teacosy). Teacosy also curated a display of historical posters for the Allsorts queer event at the Bush Theatre at Aquarius50. Johnny Allen shared his own story as a gay man as part of Aquarius at that event.

Exhbition walk through

Here I review the project with a walk through of the Archives at Aquarius50 as a way to cover most of what was shared and collected. All photos are by Gregory Bork and all are described from left to right, top to bottom.

Diana Roberts (Nimbin Community Centre committee) loaned an eclectic mix of posters and photos for digitisation, including the original certificate of sister city affiliation with Nimbin from Woodstock, NY, USA. Jane Maree also loaned a diverse collection of posters from Nimbin events for digitisation.

1972 Public meeting in Nimbin notice to gather support for the 1973 festival. National Library collection.

Display board from the Nimbin visitors centre provided by Franca Wolfe, as described above.

Poster copies from the 1973 festival and their caption from the Rainbow Posters exhibition. Aquarian Archive collection.

Poster original art from the 10th anniversary 1983 Lifestyle Celebration festival. Paul Joseph collection, donated by Jeannette Krohn.

Page from the Nimbin UNSW Architectural Studio Group of 1973 report by Col James, donated in advance of Aquarius50 by Mark Baxter.

Pamphlet advertising shares in Tuntable community following the 1973 festival. National Library collection. Renee English (NAFI) loaned for digitisation her collection of archives from Tuntable Falls Community.

Poster of Benny Zable’s painting of Nimbin on the last day of the 1973 festival. NAFI collection.

Postcards from Some Children of the Dream exhibition first shown at the 20th anniversary celebration. From a box full donated by Graeme Batterbury and Harsha Prabhu.

This event became Benny Zable’s inspiration for the Tug of Peace closing ceremony at Aquarius50. Various collections.

A selection of photos from the 1983 Nimbin Lifestyle Celebration. The top row is from an article in GEO magazine featuring photos by Oliver Strewe. Strewe requested feedback on the photos, which I will arrange with 1983 festival co-organiser John Lewis, who had told me about the article. Pauline Ahern donated photos from the 1983 festival Community School circus performance.

Photos from 40th anniversary celebrations in 2013 including portraits by Carlin Frost. Collection of Dr Rob Garbutt.

Photos donated by 1973 festival presenter and co-founder of Nimbin’s Rainbow Power Company, Peter ”Pedals” van der Wik.

The series at the bottom was donated by Graeme Batterbury, collected during his time curating the Rainbow Dreaming exhibition. Copies of these, along with their photographer attributions, were lost by the Lismore Regional Gallery in the 2022 floods. During Aquarius50 photographer Harry Watson Smith came in with his photo negatives from the 1973 festival and we discussed how to digitise them. Watson gave permission to print and display his existing digitised collection but I ran out of time.

Series from Nimbin Aquarius anniversaries (NAFI).

Nimbin Architectural Studio Presentation 1973, donated by Mark Baxter.
Queer Stories from the Nimbin Valley, donated by Ian Teacosy Gray.

Photo collections of the Nimbin Museum and Rainbow Cafe, including a mural by Aboriginal Artist Burri Jerrome, now destroyed by fire. Donated by Theresa Biscoe (Nimbin Community Centre coordinator).

Copies of reports about the Aquarian Archives including Significance Assessment 2008 and Preservation Needs Assessment 2009, donated by Adele Wessell.
Rainbow Dreaming book, donated by Graeme Batterbury and Harsha Prabhu.

Bliss Apocalypse student theatre production from 1973 festival script, illustrations, photos and film copies donated by John Jeffrey, along with 1969 Aquarius edition of Ubu news with The Age of Aquarius poem by Johnny Allen.

The Nimbin Karavanseri Celebration Song Book, Paul Joseph collection donated by Jeanette Krohn.

Festivals in Australia: an intimate history by Adrian Rawlins, digital copy donated by Ian Teacosy Gray.
Not Quite Square: the Story of Northern Rivers Architecture book, donated by Rob Garbutt.

100 Years of Education: Nimbin Central School 1891-1991, donated by Diana Roberts. This book is from the times when the Central School was on the site of what is now the Community Centre. It was of great interest to some visitors.
Baul of Bengal booklet copy, published by the Australian Union of Students Aquarius Foundation for the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival, original donated by Phoebe Havyatt.

Copies of various 1973 Festival publications including the Grass Leaves, Nimbin Good Times and Grass Roots Express. Rainbow Archives and Aquarian Archives collections. Digital copies of the 1973 Nimbin Good Times were requested by Bob Dooley, current editor.

Copies of various 1973 student and community newspapers about 1973 Nimbin Aquarius including Tharunka, Diggers, Nimbin News, Earth Garden and Wonder Wombat’s Sparkling Saxophone Catalogue, mostly from the Rainbow Archives at the State Library of NSW.

Chronological compendium of mass market newspaper and magazine article clippings about Nimbin Aquarius, compiled from multiple collections and donated by Gregory Bork.

Notable omissions include the essential books Rehearsals for the Apocalypse by John Jiggens and The Way Out: Radical Alternatives in Australia.

Films playing on the monitor included:

• 1973 and 1977 episodes of the 7.30 report and Four Corners about Aquarius.
• 1973 silent super 8 footage of Nimbin Aquarius Festival by Bob Trevan and John Jeffrey.
• 1973 GTK episodes featuring Nimbin Aquarius.
• 1973 Bush Video footage of Nimbin Aquarius Festival.
• 1973 Nimbin – Let Us Be Glad and Rejoice by Anthony Lupi, University of Queensland collections.
• 1973 The Nimbin Film’, an unfinished experimental compilation film made at the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin in 1973 by a film collective, National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) preview copy.
• 1973 Footage shot by Megan McMurchy and Jeune Pritchard of the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival, NFSA preview copy.
• 1974 Bush Video footage of Softly Sigh Dunstan naming ceremony.
• Undated short documentary Log Cabin Home.
• 1979 Community Documentary Newsreel, Nimbin 1976-1979.
• 1981 A Social Experiment film about Nimbin by Weekend Magazine.
• 1984 A Big Country: Nimbin to Paradise.
• 1991 Couchman episode of community meeting at Nimbin Town Hall.
• 1994 Happy Hippy Hut music video by Skyhooks, supplied by Susan and Richard Bingham.
• 2013 interviews with Aquarians by Jeanti St Clair at the 40th anniversary celebration.
• 2013 Not Quite Square documentary by Sharon Shostak on Northern Rivers Architecture.
• Various audio interviews by Graham Irvine, Aquarius Archive collection.
• All films played from hard drive, leaving out notable omissions on DVD including Nearly Normal Nimbin by Jeni Kendell and Paul Tait, which was to have its own dedicated video project at Aquarius50 that did not eventuate, and the Mullumbimby Magic series by Sharon Shostak, which had a special screening by the Brunswick Valley Historical Society in the lead up to Aquarius50.

Several visitors came in with requests for particular films they’d like to see, which I could often find and play for them. Filmmaker Wendy Champagne found valuable footage at Archives at Aquarius50 that she had not seen before in her research for her film about Aquarius.

After Aquarius50

Following her attendance at Aquarius50, Suzie Kivi then donated her mother Di Kivi’s archives, two filing cabinets worth of records documenting the 1982 Kivi v. Forestry Commission of NSW court case that halted logging at Nightcap, concluding the combined Terania, Griers Scrub and Mt Nardi protest campaigns and prompting the Wran Government’s “rainforest decision” to halt logging of all mapped rainforest in NSW and create a series of National Parks which are now World Heritage listed.

In June, the month following Aquarius50, there was an event to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Nightcap National Park at Rummery Park. I collaborated with Matt Wiseman, David Kemp, Michael Murphy and Victoria Murphy in organising an archival exhibition, which was mounted on the same National Parks’ display boards that Wiseman loaned to Archives at Aquarius50.

Also on display at the event was the original “Nightcap National Park” banner created by Nightcap protesters to advocate for the halting of logging and establishment of a National Park. This banner was donated by Marg Maclean and Barry Griffiths during Archives at Aquarius50, and is likely the most urgent item requiring preservation attention now in the collection.

The concurrent celebrations for the Nightcap 40th and Aquarius 50th from October 2022 to June 2023 together constituted a period of reflection and connection for original Aquarians and their friends, where songs, stories and spirit were shared in a series of community events.

Beyond Aquarius – Future Care

At the conclusion of the Archives at Aquarius50 project I had the responsibility of looking after a considerable collection of donated archives. I did not consider any solution that entailed removing the archives from Nimbin, and these are now temporarily housed with Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Inc. at the Bark Hut in the Nimbin Community Centre.

In my view Nimbin Aquarius Foundation must first make its current transition of generational change before finding the energy in the community for a regular and sustainable method for ongoing care of Aquarius archives. As part of this process I will advocate for a NAFI archiving subcommittee. The obvious candidates for this subcommittee are those who stepped up with the time and energy to collaborate on the Archives at Aquarius50 in any capacity. General members would begin with the custodians of existing archives, all of whom have already spent time and energy considering how best to care for their own collections (see Appendix A).

From meetings with Adele Wessell and Rob Garbutt, in my view there are four components to the ongoing care of local Aquarius archives, each of which can be outsourced to a third party:

Physical collections repository – could be combined with other Northern Rivers cultural institutions, upgraded with Richmond Tweed Regional Library and/or kept in Nimbin in a purpose built facility on community owned land. The climate control for this repository would likely be modelled on the only similar facility in the region, at the Tweed Regional Museum, consisting of a repurposed insulated cool-room and a domestic air conditioner run on solar energy.

Physical collections access and display – could return to the Community School and any other venue for temporary exhibitions, have a small display in the Bark Hut as part of a NAFI multi-use community space, or have a more ambitious dedicated “counterculture centre” with a permanent display, perhaps inspired by the Nimbin Museum that burned down, perhaps part of a new library in Nimbin.

Digital collections repository – on new archiving software at Southern Cross University under the new SCU archives policy.

Digital collections access and display – on Museums & Galleries of NSW web platform Storyplace.

Closing Thoughts

In the afterglow of Aquarius50, described by some as the last hurrah of the original 1973 Aquarians, the archives have the potential to continue the life of Aquarian stories so that they may survive and thrive for generations to come.

This report advocates for the ongoing, continued care of archives relating to the multi-faceted legacy of the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival through Aquarius50 and in perpetuity. Archives at Aquarius50 provided a template for a more permanent space in Nimbin where Aquarian stories are lived together and given care and attention in their community.

At Aquarius50 these archives continued to foster viable, life-affirming alternatives for survival to the dominant paradigm; refusing heirarchy, colonialism, consumerism and an adversarial, extractive, individualist worldview. Peace, harmony, understanding and care for Mother Earth blossomed at the social experiment that was the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival and remain ever more relevant in Nimbin and around the world today.

Appendices

Appendix A: List of custodians

Archive: Aquarian Archive

• Contents: 100 boxes
• Significance: NEFA archives; Some Children of the Dream exhibition; Peter Hamilton archives; Benny Zable collection; and more
• Location: Goonellabah Library
• Custodian: Richmond Tweed Library
• Care: Archival boxes under a tarp in the garage

Archive: Aquarian Archive

• Contents: 50 boxes
• Significance: Nightcap Action Group records; early reafforestation efforts; international efforts to save rainforest by John Seed, Doug Fergusson, Ruth Rosenhek and others
• Location: Barkers Vale
• Custodian: Bodhi Seed
• Care: Plastic boxes in an old wooden shed with broken windows. John Seed has health problems related to mould and cannot care for this archive.

Archive: Peter Hamilton

• Contents: One room
• Significance: Various cultural and anthropological records
• Location: Byron Bay / Sydney
• Custodian: Denise Nagorka
• Care: Last time I spoke to her, Denise wanted to let go of the archives as she was moving to Sydney

Archive: Hemp Embassy

• Contents: 1 storage room
• Significance: Mardi Grass festival archives; Nimbin Museum archives
• Location: Goonellabah
• Custodian: Michael Balderstone
• Care: The collections not on display at the Nimbin Museum when it burned down.

Archive: Benny Zable

• Contents: Costumes, art and banners by Benny Zable
• Significance: Original works and materials connected to the Aquarius movement and community activism
• Location: Tyalgum
• Custodian: Michael Jack
• Care: Kept in a shed along with the Chai Tent materials

Archive: Nimbin Aquarius Foundation

• Contents: Several boxes and folios
• Significance: Archives of anniversary events; temporary housing for the Rainbow Dreaming exhibition
• Location: Nimbin
• Custodian: Nimbin Aquarius Foundation
• Care: Stacked in a corner, slightly elevated to avoid potential water damage from any leaks

Archive: Terania Native Forests Action Group

• Contents: Several boxes
• Significance: Records of the secretary of TNFAG and the subsequent Nightcap Action Group
• Location: Terania Creek
• Custodian: Michael Murphy
• Care: Reluctant to acquisition to the State Library or SCU, with concerns about security and access before proceeding with any acquisition. Moved entire archive to Lismore during the 2019 bushfires for safe keeping

Archive: Terania Publishing

• Contents: One chest
• Significance: Mostly TNFAG records, photographs and other records from Terania
• Location: The Channon
• Custodian: Hugh and Nan Nicholson
• Care: In the garage up high to escape flood waters

Archive: Nightcap Action Group

• Contents: 2 filing cabinets; original order disassembled into plastic bags prior to transfer
• Significance: Records of the secretary of NAG, Di Kivi
• Location: Goonengerry
• Custodian: Gregory Bork
• Care: In transition to the Aquarian Archive, NAFI or another archive on behalf of Suzi Kivi

Archive: Nightcap Action Group (Digital Archive)

• Contents: Digital archive
• Significance: Collation of available materials for the 40th anniversary of the Nightcap blockades
• Location: Goonengerry
• Custodian: Gregory Bork
• Care: Some physical photos in transition to the Aquarian or other archive on behalf of John Seed. Otherwise a centralised digital archive including duplicates from a number of private and institutional archives

Archive: David Kemp

• Contents: A box or two
• Significance: Most famous and well-known photographic collection from Terania
• Location: Ocean Shores
• Custodian: David Kemp
• Care: Selection of best prints in the collection of the Lismore Regional Gallery were lost in the 2022 floods, now archived as digital copies only. David Kemp retains a significant collection of further negatives and prints.

Archive: Ian Dixon

• Contents: Newspaper clippings from blockades; possibly other materials
• Significance: Documentation of Terania, Tuntable, Mt Nardi, Pancom and related environmental campaigns
• Location: Tuntable Creek
• Custodian: Ian Dixon
• Care: Archive boxes up to A0 size; map chests; materials relating to Terania, Tuntable, Mt Nardi and Pancom, MO, Sonia Atkinson

Archive: Dharmananda

• Contents: Records of Dharmananda community
• Location: Terania Creek
• Custodian: Jen Ireland
• Care: Records collated into a recently published volume

Archive: Bodhi Farm

• Contents: Records of Bodhi Farm community
• Location: The Channon
• Custodian: Gai Longmuir

Archive: Tuntable

• Contents: Records of Tuntable community
• Location: Tuntable Creek
• Custodian: Megan James
• Care: Records digitised and multiple copies distributed across the community for safe keeping

Archive: Gaia Films

• Contents: 50-year film and photography archives of Nimbin and Aquarius community
• Location: Lillian Rock
• Custodian: Jeni Kendall and Paul Tait
• Care: Kept in a room in their house. Note: Important flood-damaged RRHS collection en route from Sydney to Canberra

Jacques Garland

• Contents: Extensive collection of photographs from many years of activism
• Location: Brunswick Heads
• Custodian: Jacques Garland
• Care: Severely flood-impacted collection, kept in living room of a flood-prone apartment

Chibo Mertineit

• Contents: Videos of various Nimbin events
• Custodian: Chibo Mertineit
• Care: A box in Chibo’s house

Johnny Allen

• Contents: Personal collection of 1973 festival co-organiser
• Location: Sydney
• Custodian: Johnny Allen
• Care: Kept in the spare room of an apartment

Appendix B: Aquarius50 archive webpage

Please help keep the dream alive. Send us your Aquarius stories. Write them down or record them on your phone with audio or video.

Contact aquarianarchive@yahoo.com to discuss contributing your stories to the archives.

The aim is to re-invigorate the Aquarian Archives now housed at the Richmond Library and to keep stories alive by creating many ways to share as part of the Aquarius50 conversation.

Rainbow Dreaming

A wonderful exhibition of Aquarian stories that live on! Click here

Book from the exhibition: Prabhu, H., & Batterbury, G. (2013). Rainbow dreaming: tales from the age of aquarius (Aquarius Festival 40th anniversary edition ed.). Rainbow Collective.

Books about Aquarius

Jiggens, J. (1983). Rehearsals for the Apocalypse: Part one: the Aquarius Festival, May 12–22, 1973. J. Jiggens. A poetic evocation of the 1973 Aquarius Festival.

Smith, M., & Crossley, D. (1975). The Way Out: radical alternatives in Australia. Lansdowne. A compilation of writing including pieces by several Aquarians including Johnny Allen and Graeme Dunstan.

Writing about the Aquarian legacy

Bible, V. (2016). On Common Ground: Cultivating Environmental Peace: A History of the Rainbow Region [Doctoral Thesis, University of New England]. Armidale, NSW.

Bork, G. (2017). Walking the Reciprocal Restoration Talk, Rainforest, Eastern Australia [Southern Cross University]. Lismore, NSW. https://reciprocalrestoration.org

Burnam, B. (1987). Aboriginal Australia and the Green Movement. In D. Hutton (Ed.), Green politics in Australia : a collection of essays (pp. 91-104). Angus & Robertson.

Cock, P. (1979). Alternative Australia: Communities of the Future? Quartet Australia.

Derrett, R. (2008). Regional festivals : nourishing community resilience: the nature and role of cultural festivals in Northern Rivers NSW communities

Garbutt, R. (2019). Creating Space for Protest and Possibility: Nimbin, Australia, from 1973. Contention (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 7(1), 66-80. https://doi.org/10.3167/cont.2019.070106

Garbutt, R. (2014). Aquarius and Beyond: Thinking through the Counterculture. M/C Journal: A journal of media and culture, 17(6). http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/view/911

Hale, Mandie. UNIQUE Creative Homes of Nimbin and Surrounds.

Kijas, J. (2011). Caravans & Communes: stories of settling in the Tweed 1970s & 1980s. Tweed Shire Council.

Marsh, V. (2014). The Evolution of a Meme Cluster: A Personal Account of a Countercultural Odyssey through The Age of Aquarius. M/C Journal, 17(6). https://doi.org/10.5204/mcj.888

Newton, J. (1988). Aborigines, Tribes and the Counterculture. Social analysis(23), 53-71.

Norst, M. J. (1999). A Warrior for Peace: Burnum Burnum. Kangaroo Press. With a story about Burnum Burnum’s relationship with the Aquarian community.

Ricketts, A., & Kia, A. (2018). Enabling Emergence: The Bentley Blockade and the Struggle for a Gasfield Free Northern Rivers. Southern Cross University Law Review, 19, 51-76. (S. Cross U. L. Rev.)

Rolls-Gordon, N. (2016). Where The Heart Is: What we can Learn about Social Sustainability from Intentional Communities [Southern Cross University]. Lismore, NSW.

Scantlebury, A. (2014). Black Fellas and Rainbow Fellas: Convergence of Cultures at the Aquarius Arts and Lifestyle Festival, Nimbin, 1973. M/C Journal: A journal of media and culture, 17(6). http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/view/923

Seed, J., Macy, J., Fleming, P., & Naess, A. (1988). Thinking like a mountain: towards a council of all beings. New Society Publishers.

Shields, K. (2000). In the tiger’s mouth: an empowerment guide for social action.

Taylor, A. L. (1981). Retreat or Advance: new settlers and alternative lifestyles in the Rainbow Region. Dept of Geography, University of New England.

Wilson, H. (2003). Belonging in the Rainbow Region: cultural perspectives on the NSW North Coast. Southern Cross University Press.

Podcasts and Media

Kendell, J., & Tait, P. (1995). Nearly normal Nimbin. Gaia Films.

Richmond-Tweed Oral History Group – Under the Rainbow

Shoebridge, B. (2016). The Bentley effect : the story of a social movement.

Shostak, S. (2015). Mullumbimby’s Madness: The Legacy of the Hippies. Mullumbimby, NSW, Brunswick Valley Historical Society.

Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre: ABC Open Vids from Aquarius 40th : ABC Open Vids from Aquarius 40th

Library Collections

Folder full of media clippings from Aquarius Festival at Byron Bay library (not for loan), call number LST 394.2699443 NIMB

Records of the Aquarius Festival at the National Library, Manuscript reference no. : NLA MS 6945

The Rainbow Archives at the State Library of NSW, for a broader, national collection of counterculture archives.

Social Media

My Nimbin Aquarius Story
Nimbin Aquarius Festival 1973
Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Inc.
Nimbin Aquarius Networking
Aquarius and Beyond