Today Nimbin is an icon of Australian cultural history but the Nimbin of 50 years ago was very different. Originally Nimbin was a prosperous dairy town servicing the farming community. Its laid-back atmosphere and rural location attracted those who enjoyed a quiet or alternative lifestyle. Nimbin elevated to stardom in 1973 with the original Aquarius festival, attracting hippies and alternative types from all over the country. So successful was the festival, that many of the participants simply stayed on and made their home in Nimbin. Around the same time when diary goods started to be imported from other countries and land became cheap, the dairy industry dried up. With this evolution the town regrettably lost somewhat of its original identity. Many of the original 60s Nimbin inhabitants have moved out to the hills, leaving central Nimbin to continue their simplistic lifestyle.
Now a colourful, alternative-lifestyle centre, Nimbin’s main industry is tourism. It hosts the Hemp Embassy, cafes, craft markets, curiosity alternative shops, and a small but outlandish Museum (an out of the ordinary experience for all visitors and a trip down memory lane those who remember the 60s). With the finance from tourism, Nimbin has revamped its psychedelic 1970s image and basks in its unconventional reputation.
Nevertheless, Nimbin remains on the doorstep to spectacular World Heritage national parks, beginning with the towering Nimbin Rocks just outside the town, which are of significant Aboriginal importance. The Bundjalung people who originally inhabited this area are still active and vocal in the town's affairs. Nimbin is said to be the resting place of Warrajum, the Rainbow Serpent, and is known as a place of healing.
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