In May 1973 students, artists, musicians and other young people from all over Australia gathered in Nimbin for the Aquarius Festival. At the end of the festival, a meeting was held to discuss an ongoing commitment to the spirit of the festival. This resulted in the "May Manifesto" which contained many of the ideals and principles still espoused by the Nimbin community.

The Festival and the May Manifesto eventually led to the formation of the well-known Tuntable Falls Community, still the largest commune in the area. As well as those who stayed on after the festival, others attracted to an alternative lifestyle eventually moved to the area, either buying land, joining existing communes or forming new ones.

Other communes and cooperatives subsequently formed in the immediate vicinity of Nimbin or in adjacent valleys -- Billen Cliffs, Moondani, Blue Springs, Dharmananda, Bodhi Farm and Siddha Farm -- and from the mid-seventies onwards, Nimbin became increasingly identified as a centre for the consciousness culture and the environmental and sustainable lifestyle movements in Australia.

The Friday Night Cafe attracks local artists, writers and philosophers with good food, great cakes, local wine, lively discussions and mellow music.Tuntable also hosts a variety of monthly cafes for its members and guests including ''Saturday Dining on the Patio'' and ''Sunday Familly Cafe". Also Tuntable Hall is featuring a variety of musical events throughout the year that features excellent music concerts and festivals in a pleasant setting.

Tuntable Falls Primary School, located at the heart of the Tuntable Community, is surrounded by the natural beauty of the rainforest with breath taking views of Nightcap National Park which the community adjoins. The community wished to provide a different educational environment to the State system for their children. The school is located on Tuntable Falls Co-op land and all of the school buildings have been constructed with the voluntary labour of many Co-op members and financed in large part by fundraising activities of the community and parents.