Aquarius Festival was an adventure of the highest order.
It was respectful, it was challenging, it was community.
It just made so much sense, it was like, this is the way we can live together
in the company of one another and get things done collectively.
Tony Barry, 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival participant and performer.
1. Statement of Purpose
Aquarius Archives Centre (AAC) nourishes the life, spirit and legacy of the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival by caring for and sharing stories held in archives. The AAC is a Working Group of Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Inc. (NAFI) and is guided by the NAFI Mission Statement and by the AAC Code of Conduct. The AAC fosters viable, life affirming opportunities to re/connect with each other and the Earth by learning with the precedent set by exemplary Nimbin Aquarius Elders and their thriving intentional communities around Nimbin.
The AAC collection provides a high-quality community cultural resource and attraction for the Nimbin village. We encourage social cohesion and community resilience by stimulating valuable, meaningful and authentic visitor engagement for those coming from near and far.
We collect materials that are primarily about, or which otherwise reflect on or have impact on the experience, history, lives, heritage and interests of Nimbin and surrounding communities in light of social change movements beginning here around 1973.
The AAC respects the Bundjalung community, actively looking after our mutual relationships and shared stories here in Bundjalung Country.
2. Purpose and Scope of the Collection Policy
The purpose of this policy is to:
- Maintain safe and secure collection repositories (AAC depot and AAC database).
- Manage a community place (AAC HQ and AAC website) in Nimbin to gather, catalogue, digitise, preserve and access collection items.
- Exhibit and share items from the collection.
This guiding document is intended to inspire the seeding, gestation, growth, blossoming, preservation and management of the AAC Collection with the Nimbin community.
3. What the Aquarius Archives Centre will collect
The AAC collects items and records from 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival and its subsequent legacy.
Historic period/time period
The ACC collects items and records from 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival to the present day, including any pre-1973 planning documents. Items and records must provide reasonably relevant context leading up to and during the Festival or derive substantial context from the Festival as a significant event.
Geographic area/region
AAC collects items and records from the geographic area including and surrounding Nimbin sometimes known as the ‘Rainbow Region’ in acknowledgement of the r/evolution of its community character and identity following the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius Festival. The AAC also collects items and records relevant to the Festival organised as a national event, with international guests and participants, and that continues as a living culture and community of global significance.
Items to be collected
AAC Collection will include physical and digital maps, books, photographs, albums, posters, banners, community paperwork, newspapers, newsletters, art, books, clothing, three dimensional objects etc.
Diversity
AAC collects materials that intentionally reflect the diversity of cultural backgrounds that always were and are part of the Nimbin Aquarius ethos and community. AAC collects Nimbin Aquarius materials from kindred participating non-mainstream and non-dominating (counter) cultures, including but not limited to the Women’s Rights movement and women’s stories and the Gay Rights movement and LGBTQIA+ stories.
First Nations
AAC collects material about First Nations relationship with Nimbin Aquarius, as noted in the Statement of Purpose (above). AAC Collection of First Nations cultural materials is bound by legal and ethical obligations (see section 5 below).
4. How the Aquarius Archives Centre Will Collect
Method of Acquisition
AAC shall acquire objects for the permanent collection by donation and bequest.
Acquisition Working Group
AAC Acquisition Working Group will consist of no fewer than 3 members of the parent AAC Working Group who are available at any time.
All recommendations made by the AAC Acquisition Working Group will be documented and retained by AAC.
Acquisition Criteria
An important consideration in all acquisition decisions is that AAC should be able to provide for the storage, protection and preservation of the current collection and provide the basis for further expansion. We encourage donors of material to consider making a financial contribution, to reduce AAC’s costs in accepting and housing their donation.
AAC Acquisition Working Group will consider the following criteria before approving acquisition of an object:
- Relevance – AAC only collects objects that relate to AAC purpose and key collecting areas.
- Significance – Priority is given to objects which are significant for their cultural, historic, aesthetic, scientific/research or social/spiritual value.
- Provenance and Documentation – Priority will be given to objects where the history of the object is known and associated documentation and support material can be provided.
- Condition, Intactness, Integrity – The condition of the object must be taken into consideration when acquiring material. Badly damaged material will not normally be accepted into the collection.
- Interpretive Potential – Objects that tell a story that adds to the interpretation of the Collection Purpose (above) will be prioritised.
- Rarity – Objects may be prioritised if they are rare examples of a particular kind of object.
- Representativeness – Objects may be prioritised if they are an excellent representative example of a particular kind of object.
- Duplications – Objects that duplicate items already in the collection will not be accepted unless they are of superior condition and/or historic value. In such a case the duplicate may be considered for deaccessioning.
- Legal Requirements – AAC only accepts objects where the donor/vendor has legal title to the object.
- Attaching conditions – AAC will not accept conditional donations unless negotiated in exceptional circumstances, such as for First Nations cultural material (see point 5 below), due to the onerous burden of administration as a community organisation with limited resources.
- ACC discretion – ACC reserves the right to refuse to accept materials. We will endeavour to place offered material in or refer the donor to other archives or suitable organisations. We also reserve the right to de-accession materials collected (see below). Where possible we will consult with the donor.
5. Legal and Ethical Obligations
AAC will only collect First Nations cultural materials that have a direct relationship with the Collection Purpose (above) and are accompanied by appropriate permissions. These artefacts will only be about the relationships between First Nations culture and community and the Aquarius counterculture movement and community, with shared cultural value. AAC will work with best practise including right of reply and two-way caretaking that includes all materials associated with First nations people.
AAC will not collect prohibited weapons, firearms, shipwreck material or any other items with specific legislative requirements relating to their collection.
6. Collection Care: Documentation, Conservation and Storage
Documentation and Record Keeping
AAC aims at all times to maintain an effective documentation system.
Donor forms, receipts, archive registers, and catalogue information will be kept at AAC HQ.
AAC Acquisition Working Group will follow the guidelines below when acquiring material:
- Owner makes an appointment with the AAC Acquisition Working Group to assess the materials’ acquisition.
- A receipt is issued to the owner recording the object name, address of the owner and contact number, names of the assessing AAC Acquisition Working Group agents and date. The same information is written on a tag and attached to the object.
- Notes on the history and AACs of the object will be taken at the time of acquisition.
- If the object is accepted, donors sign two copies of the Donor Form, one for AAC and one to keep. A letter of thanks is sent to the donor.
- The object must be registered, numbered and catalogued. Where documentation relating to the significance of the object is available, an object file will be kept.
- The object and object number is listed under the name of the donor in the donor book/files.
6.2. Storage and Conservation
AAC aims to achieve high standards of collection care and storage.
- Storage areas must remain clean, secure and sealed against the weather.
- Temperature and relative humidity should be kept as stable as possible.
- Access to storage areas is to be controlled.
- Ultraviolet light should be minimised from storage areas. When storage areas are not in use lights must be turned off.
- Archival quality storage materials should be used for all significant material.
- Storage areas must be regularly checked for pests and other problems.
- Objects are not to be stored on the floor.
- Untrained personnel should never attempt to clean, treat or restore AAC objects.
7. Deaccessioning and Disposal Procedures
Criteria for Deaccessioning
An object can be deaccessioned from AAC’s collection if:
- It does not comply with the current collection policy of AAC.
- It is damaged beyond repair.
- The conservation and storage costs for it are beyond the means of AAC.
- It is a lesser quality duplicate of an object AAC already owns.
- It lacks any supporting information to enable proper identification or to establish its relevance to the collection.
Deaccession Procedures
- The object identified for removal from the collection must come before the AAC Working Group for consideration with close reference to the criteria stated above.
- The object identified for de-accession must be held for a twelve month “cooling off” period before it is finally disposed of.
- Staff, volunteers, Working Group members and their families are prohibited from purchasing, or otherwise obtaining, a deaccessioned object.
- Any funds acquired from the sale of the deaccessioned item should be used for acquisitions or care of the collection.
Disposal Procedures
The object must be:
- Returned to the donor or family. If after a thorough search this is impossible, the object should be;
- Transferred to another appropriate institution;
- Sold by public auction, where appropriate;
- Recycled or Destroyed or if appropriate.
8. Loans
Loan Procedures
- Permanent and long term loans will not be accepted by AAC.
- AAC will lend and borrow material to help meet its purpose (above).
- AAC holds separate forms for inward and outward loans.
- The maximum loan period is 12 months.
Inward Loans
- Inward loans shall only be accepted for specific exhibitions or research and for fixed periods of time.
- Inward loans shall be recorded in a separate Loans Register.
- A representative of both AAC and the lender will be required to sign an agreed inward loan form. Each party will hold a copy of this agreement. This form will record conditions of the loan and the period of the loan.
- AAC agrees to exercise the same care with respect to loans as it does for its own collection.
- Loans shall remain in the possession of AAC for the time specified on the form.
- AAC can request to renew loans if required. Documentation recording renewal must be signed by an AAC Working Group agent and the lender.
Outward Loans
- AAC will lend objects to other archives and organisations holding collections. It will not lend to private collectors.
- Borrowers and a representative from AAC will be required to sign two outward loan agreement forms. Each party will hold a copy of this agreement. This form will record the condition of the loan and the period of the loan.
- The borrower must exercise care in the handling, storage and display of the loan object and must be prepared to meet the conditions outlined in the outward loan agreement.
- The borrower will provide a secure display and/or storage area.
- The maximum loan period is 12 months. Applications for extension of this period must be made prior to the loan expiry date.
- Objects cannot be treated or altered in any way without the written permission of AAC.
- Loans will remain in the possession of the borrower until returned to AAC.
9. Oral History Policy
- An Oral History Agreement is signed by the person interviewed, which clearly states the purpose and intended uses of the interviews and what copyright provisions apply.
- AAC abides by the Guidelines of Ethical Practice of the Oral History Museum of Australia.
10. Access
General ongoing access may be provided through AAC organised exhibitions, displays, workshops and story sharing events at AAC HQ and other safe and secure venues.
Concise and limited catalogue information will be provided to the community via the AAC website.
AAC Collection and collection records will be made accessible to researchers and other communities on request by appointment only and as available. Community access will be provided at AAC HQ only.
Collections at the AAC Depot will be accessible to the AAC Working Group only, and are not to be taken home or away from AAC Depot or AAC HQ without AAC Working Group consent and documentation.
Collections at the AAC Depot or HQ will be accessed by the facility provider only in the event of an emergency, as set forth in a Memorandum of Understanding, lease or other legally binding agreement.
The digital collection requires a secure login unique to each user. Each user’s access is limited, with no more than one AAC login for editing, full access to high resolution files by the AAC Working Group, and access limited to low resolution files by any other user.
AAC reserves the right to restrict access to the collection over and above the conditions outlined above.
11. Copyright and Copying
Copyright applies to the material in AAC’s collection. AAC will discuss the question of copyright with each new donor and record details of copyright ownership in the agreement under which the donation is made.
Users of the collection are bound by copyright law including restrictions on copying and other uses of text, images and recording.
Original creative materials (art, photos, music, film, etc) can only be reproduced with full accreditation and in a form (whether colour, black and white, in promotional material or for display, etc) agreed to by AAC and, where required, the copyright holder.
12. Winding-Up Procedures
- AAC may be wound up voluntarily by special resolution of the AAC Working Group.
- In the event of the winding up or cancellation of the AAC the surplus assets of the AAC must not be distributed to any members or former members of the AAC.
- Subject to legislation or court order, in the event of the AAC being wound up, any item that has been loaned shall be returned to the lender and the collection, consisting of acquired items and records, that have been formally catalogued and those awaiting cataloguing shall be transferred to a similar institution to which tax-deductible gifts can be made. Any surplus assets remaining after the payment of the AAC’s liabilities shall be transferred to another organisation with similar objectives to which income tax deductible gifts can be made.
13. Collection Policy Review
AAC will review this Collection Policy annually.
14. Endorsement
Endorsed 18 Feb 2025 at Aquarius Archives Working Group regular meeting by
Tess Schofield, Aquarius Archives Working Group Member
Susan Bingham, Aquarius Archives Working Group Member
Pauline Ahern, Aquarius Archives Working Group Member
Gregory Bork, Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Inc. Committee Member and Aquarius Archives Working Group Member
