What is your topic?
The topic I have chosen to study is the Aquarius Festival held in Nimbin, NSW. The 9 day festival from May 12th to 21st 1973 may have been the best thing to happen to Nimbin. The dying dairy town in desperate need of business was approached by the Australian Union of students and asked to hold an alternative lifestyle festival on the showground of the town. Although the values of the conservative town members differed from the alternative festival attendees they agreed for the livelihood of the town.
Local businesses boomed and many of the Aquarians (festival attendees) decided to stay and live in the town. Nimbin is now seen as the countercultural capital of Australia (Garbutt 2014).
I will be exploring more about the event …show more content…
It appears some community members felt that the festival attendee’s lifestyle choices such as smoking illegal substances and nudity did not match the conservative values of Nimbin townspeople. This is assumed as Bob Marsh addresses these concerns in his letter, reassuring the town that any distasteful behaviour will be dealt with firmly and will not be problematic to the town.
What has been included in the record and what might have been left out?
The record has included Bob Marsh’s thoughts on why the town should agree to host the 1973 Aquarius festival and how any violence will be dealt with by police thoroughly. The letter however has left out some important details about the event that may have affected the decision. The letter does not mention how long the festival goes for, how many students are planning on attending and what activities will take place during the festival.
What is the point of view being expressed?
Bob Marsh makes his point of view clear in the letter. He believes this festival will do great things for Nimbin and that the town would regret not taking this opportunity. There is no doubt or uncertainty in his response that he is in favour of the Aquarius festival being held in …show more content…
This letter addresses concerns about the visitors exhibiting offensive behaviour in the town. It also brings attention to how this is a big economic opportunity for Nimbin. It was a big decision for the town to make which raises the question was it the right decision? The Aquarius lifestyle points away from local traditions and values (Four Corners 1973). The locals may have agreed at the time to the festival did they change their minds once they came in contact with the Aquarians?
Where would you go to find answers to those questions?
The best way to find these answers is to get in contact with some of the local residents from 1973. However, this could be challenging as I do not know if they are still in town because they embraced the lifestyle change or if they moved because they did not. Finding interviews and articles already complete of the towns reaction would be very useful and a more likely approach to finding the answers to my questions.
What is the relationship to your topic?
This particular primary source represents a critical moment in the history of Nimbin. If this letter was not presented on the night of the town meeting the community might not have agreed on hosting the Aquarius festival. Nimbin would be very different to the countercultural town it is today and perhaps still struggling
The topic I have chosen to study is the Aquarius Festival held in Nimbin, NSW. The 9 day festival from May 12th to 21st 1973 may have been the best thing to happen to Nimbin. The dying dairy town in desperate need of business was approached by the Australian Union of students and asked to hold an alternative lifestyle festival on the showground of the town. Although the values of the conservative town members differed from the alternative festival attendees they agreed for the livelihood of the town.
Local businesses boomed and many of the Aquarians (festival attendees) decided to stay and live in the town. Nimbin is now seen as the countercultural capital of Australia (Garbutt 2014).
I will be exploring more about the event …show more content…
It appears some community members felt that the festival attendee’s lifestyle choices such as smoking illegal substances and nudity did not match the conservative values of Nimbin townspeople. This is assumed as Bob Marsh addresses these concerns in his letter, reassuring the town that any distasteful behaviour will be dealt with firmly and will not be problematic to the town.
What has been included in the record and what might have been left out?
The record has included Bob Marsh’s thoughts on why the town should agree to host the 1973 Aquarius festival and how any violence will be dealt with by police thoroughly. The letter however has left out some important details about the event that may have affected the decision. The letter does not mention how long the festival goes for, how many students are planning on attending and what activities will take place during the festival.
What is the point of view being expressed?
Bob Marsh makes his point of view clear in the letter. He believes this festival will do great things for Nimbin and that the town would regret not taking this opportunity. There is no doubt or uncertainty in his response that he is in favour of the Aquarius festival being held in …show more content…
This letter addresses concerns about the visitors exhibiting offensive behaviour in the town. It also brings attention to how this is a big economic opportunity for Nimbin. It was a big decision for the town to make which raises the question was it the right decision? The Aquarius lifestyle points away from local traditions and values (Four Corners 1973). The locals may have agreed at the time to the festival did they change their minds once they came in contact with the Aquarians?
Where would you go to find answers to those questions?
The best way to find these answers is to get in contact with some of the local residents from 1973. However, this could be challenging as I do not know if they are still in town because they embraced the lifestyle change or if they moved because they did not. Finding interviews and articles already complete of the towns reaction would be very useful and a more likely approach to finding the answers to my questions.
What is the relationship to your topic?
This particular primary source represents a critical moment in the history of Nimbin. If this letter was not presented on the night of the town meeting the community might not have agreed on hosting the Aquarius festival. Nimbin would be very different to the countercultural town it is today and perhaps still struggling