In May 1973, in the lead up to the Aquarius Festival, Australian psychedelic artist, Vernon Treweeke, came up with the original idea to “paint up” the village of Nimbin. Festival organisers Graeme Dunstan and Johnny Allen assisted in the project and permission was sought from the local shopkeepers. (more)
In May 1973, in the lead up to the Aquarius Festival, Australian psychedelic artist, Vernon Treweeke, came up with the original idea to “paint up” the village of Nimbin. Festival organisers Graeme Dunstan and Johnny Allen assisted in the project and permission was sought from the local shopkeepers.
The Rainbow Café (since burned down) was the first place painted by Vernon, featuring rainbow stars. This inspired many other artisans to spread the “rainbow” theme to neighbouring village buildings.
The Tomato Sauce building was converted from a general store to a food co-op during the Aquarius Festival and was painted with the famed tomato sauce explosion. The RSL, today’s Birth and Beyond building, was purchased by the Aquarius team and was painted with a large Union Jack. In 1978 the front door was painted with the finest brush strokes and remains a valued village icon to this day. The plumber's shop became the learning exchange with a mural of flying saucers which survived until 1992 when Susukka Trading replaced it.
In 1997 Lismore Festival of Arts facilitated a mural project where local artists designed and painted new murals. The project saw the Tomato Sauce building façade become the Hemp Embassy Mardi Grass billboard, painted by Elspeth Jones. Dreamtime murals were also painted by the Laurie and Roberts families, commissioned by the Nimbin School of Arts, to celebrate the International Year of Indigenous people. Burri Jerome, who painted the Nimbin Rocks facade and the interior of the Rainbow Café, also painted a new mural over the former Nimbin Garage which was recently revamped into a beautiful work of art by Elspeth Jones and Julie de Lorenzo.
For the 40th anniversary of the Aquarius Festival additional murals were completed and restored. The "Check Mate" mural above the Trattoria/Nimbin Pizza Shop was painted by original Aquarian mural artist Vernon Treweeke. According to the artist, "the kangaroo represents the freedom of mankind bounding into the future and the emus facing each other represent the union of male and female aspects of ourselves merging into the new, forging a new path to the manifesting age of Aquarius".
The "Endangered Species" mural by Amanda Williamson above the Nimbin Newsagency features daytime animals on the left-hand side, and nocturnal animals on the right-hand side.
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