Powering the past to protect the future
Rainbow Power Company (RPC) has partnered with the Aquarius Archives, a working group of the Nimbin Aquarius Foundation Incorporated (NAFI), to safeguard and celebrate the cultural history of the Northern Rivers. The collaboration provides a secure, temperature-controlled space at RPC’s headquarters for the storage and preservation of irreplaceable community materials — powered sustainably by renewable energy.
This initiative highlights RPC’s long-standing commitment to the Northern Rivers, not just as a renewable energy pioneer, but as a dedicated community partner ensuring the stories that shaped the region remain accessible for generations to come.
Project Overview
Founded in 1993, NAFI is a non-profit charity dedicated to protecting the cultural legacy of the Nimbin Aquarius movement. The Archives contain historical photographs, documents, and multimedia that capture the evolution of environmental activism, arts, and alternative living in the region since the 1970s.
Through this partnership, Rainbow Power Company’s 1 Alternative Way facility now serves as the secure repository for these materials.
The building provides the necessary environmental stability for delicate media, ensuring NAFI’s collection is protected from heat, humidity, and environmental wear.
In turn, the Aquarius Archives has committed to preserving RPC’s own history — documenting the company’s journey from a $90 start-up selling rechargeable torches in 1987 to one of Australia’s longest-running renewable energy providers. This inclusion ensures that RPC’s story, and that of its co-founder Peter Pedals, becomes part of the broader cultural record that defines the Northern Rivers.
What They Said
“This relationship beautifully aligns with our commitment to community. Just as we’ve been powering the region with sustainable energy since 1987, we’re now helping power the preservation of our shared history.”
— Matthew Wittemeier, CEO, Rainbow Power Company
“Rainbow Power Company has been part of Nimbin’s story since 1987, and we’re thrilled they’re helping Aquarius Archives preserve that story for future generations. Their secure facilities will ensure our irreplaceable archives remain protected.”
— Gregory Bork, Aquarius Archives Working Group Member
Project Details
- Partnership Type: Community collaboration supporting local heritage preservation
- Storage Facility: Temperature-controlled archival space at RPC headquarters in Nimbin
- Public Access: Archive research centre remains open at Nimbin Community Centre, Collins Street (Thurs 11 am – 3 pm)
- Scope of Collection: Records of regional activism, arts, and innovation, including RPC’s own history
Community Impact
The Aquarius Archives partnership represents a fusion of technology and cultural stewardship — using renewable energy infrastructure to protect history. It reinforces RPC’s vision of empowering communities through sustainable solutions that reach beyond electricity generation.
For NAFI and the broader Northern Rivers community, it ensures that the creative and activist spirit that once inspired the Aquarius Festival, and continues to define the region, is preserved under the care of a local company whose values align with its own.
Outcome
A renewable-powered collaboration safeguarding Nimbin’s creative and cultural legacy, proving that community energy can do more than power homes and businesses; it can power the preservation of history itself.
Interested in partnering with RPC for community projects?
📞 Call 02 6689 1430 or email team@rpc.com.au
