Research Resources

Rainbow Dreaming: Tales from the Age of Aquarius

Here’s where to start with some Aquarius basics. Enjoy.

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 Journal17(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

Social Media

My Nimbin Aquarius Story

Nimbin Aquarius Festival 1973

Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Inc.

Nimbin Aquarius Networking

Aquarius and Beyond

Nimbin Museum and Rainbow Cafe tribute