1. The abbreviation 'Toc' for Tocumwal will be used.
2. To make matters worse, a teenage girl was allegedly sexually assaulted on New Year's Eve.
3. Based on observations and confirmed by Berry's questionnaire results (1979:20). From a sample of 317 ConFesters surveyed at Berri, Berry found that 47.3% were between 20-24 and 22% were between 25-29 years old.
4. Those outside the labour market such as students, the unemployed, the retired and those marginally employed like itinerant traders, fringe artists and street performers, for whom ConFest, according to Hakea, is 'the answer to Moomba'.
5. For example: cooking and eating meat, displaying corporate logos, listening to 'ghetto blasters', discussing the cricket scores, male predatory behaviour and displayed gestures of possessiveness.
6. Participants are somewhat similar to Gillespie's 'folknik', defined as someone holding 'a vague commitment to left-wing politics, peace, truth and beauty' and holding the belief that 'American [here, read mainstream Australian] culture is plastic and artificial' (1987:157 in Lewis and Dowsey-Magog 1993:202-3).
7. Other groups displaying different hedonistic behavioural patterns at this time include ravers and the Highwaymen motorcycle club.
8. This contrasts with North American Rainbow Gatherings which are held on 'public lands'. Since these are 'ostensibly held in trust, everyone shares equally in their ownership' (Niman 1997:184).
9. Only one of the three different locations detailed here was on a fresh site - Birdlands. A strong push for a new site in East Gippsland (for 96/97 and 97/98) was defeated.
10. Consequently, most participants must travel hundreds of kilometres (by car, train or bus). This is unlike Woodford/Maleny which occurs relatively close to Brisbane.
11. Unlike Rainbow Gatherings where participants are required to trek some distance (at least two kms) from the car park in order to reach the site.
12. As an example of appropriate place making, a wide glade with a slender tree standing at its centre was the area chosen for the Pagan village at Moama I (1993/94). The site was selected on the basis of its possibilities, an appropriate context for a range of workshops and rites that may occur there (Les).
13. Though directors and co-ordinators remain largely inconspicuous throughout the event, and usually do not seek to assert public authority, the possession of a hand held radio - a kind of techno-sceptre - does communicate, an official role, and therefore, conveys status.
14. A three tiered price structure exists. For the events researched, the price of admission was $50.00 (gate price), $30.00 (prepurchased tickets), $20.00 (for DTE members) or free for children under 16 accompanied by adults.
15. David Cruise explains that turning back the clocks around the site (at The Gate, Information and workshop wall) conserves energy as less artificial lighting is required. This also had the effect of making people adjust back to 'real time' upon leaving.
16. Chris, who coined the term 'Pt'chang' explains - referring to the instant an individual arrives at a problem's solution - it is 'the sound [of] a realisation'.
17. Sanskrit phrase glossing as 'peace centre', Shanti Sena is also the name adopted by North American Rainbow Gathering peacekeepers (Niman 1997:118).
18. Incidents at Moama IV were relatively minimal for a community of 6,000 over the New Year period. Pt'chang responded to and recorded: a sexual assault, an assault on two gay men, petty theft (burglaries of tents and cars), small fires, and 'a few minimal family disputes'. They also had a role in locating lost children, recruiting volunteers for site work, dealing with 'runners' at The Gate and dogs on site (Anthony; The Pt'chang Report 1996/97:39-41 [see the 97/98 Pt'Chang Report]).
19. Not so popular these days, the convention of gathering in a circle, linking, hugging, chanting and sharing thoughts and feelings can be traced back to Cotter, where 'tribal councils', akin to Main Council at Rainbow Gatherings, were held.
20. Facilitated by Peter Gleeson, the Spontaneous Choir are a fluid extra-ConFest tribe who meet and perform at various Melbourne locations.
21. Firewalks also took place at Toc IV and at both Moama events. These were longer, more controlled rites with fewer walkers.
22. Ananda Marga is 'a spiritual and social service movement' (from leaflet) founded in India by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti (P.R.Sarkar). Its teachings are based on the 7,000 year old science of Tantra Yoga, and the purpose of its practice is to 'change our inner nature - and the society we live in; in order to foster the emergence of a new civilization, one based on spiritual and universalistic values, rather than on narrow dogmas and short sighted materialism' (from Wangaratta '83/'84 handbook:36). They promote the annual Ananda Mela (Festival of Bliss) held at their Ashram and spiritual community in Stanthorpe Queensland.
23. The Australian Dzogchen community follow the teachings of Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, himself a reincarnation of a great Dzogchen master of the early 20th century, Adom Drugpa. Dzogchen ('the Great Perfection) is 'the culmination and essence of Tibetan Buddhism and is a complete way of knowledge of an individual's state of being' (from pamphlet).
24. Green, Ethical and Non-exploitative ('non-exploitative of people or planet').
25. Since it was one of the few different villages appearing at Moama II & III, the inclusion of the Women's village is the exception.
26. Although it has similar purifying potentials, the structure is not designed to accommodate rituals modelled on Native American or Celtic 'sweatlodges'.
27. According to Pipit, the 'hands on' workshop 'made it into a soft-porn OZ magazine, as reported by an attendee, under a title something like "sex and drugs crazed hippies go wild in jungle orgy"' (cf. Brumer 1994).
28. Including extracts from Bakunin, Rudolf Rocker's 'Anarchism: its Aims and Purposes' - the first chapter of his 1938 libertarian classic Anarcho-syndicalism, E.G Smith Press' Animal Ingredients: A-Z, W. Kemp's Message Sticks in Cyberspace, The Squatters Handbook, Green Anarchist newspaper, Angry People magazine and a copy of The Celestine Fallacy.
29. What is now a loose network of autonomous groups throughout America, Food Not Bombs emerged there in 1980/81 after a few people concerned about homelessness, hunger and militarism, decided to recover and redistribute abundant quantities of discarded food. In addition to feeding the poor in public parks, FNB have a reputation for feeding activists at peace camps and other political demonstrations (Lawrence-Butler and McHenry 1992).
30. They have also supported several community events such as Critical Mass, Koornung Creek Festival, the Anarchist Black Cross Conference, Wellington Street Squat Eviction.
31. Clan Analogue is a national collective of electronic artists who facilitated 'PolyTechnic' workshops involving teaching synthesiser skills. Rather than playing automated rhythms, their idea was to generate electronic music with 'a human feel'. With one person playing a base 'groove' and other ConFesters encouraged to 'tweak' a number of synthesisers, all constantly monitored and mixed to maintain 'respectful musicality', they boasted that the overall effect may have been 'the most "live" electronic music in Australia' (Wallaby and proposal).
33. Prior to entry, many initiates were handed 'tickets' which included Orryelle's brief narrative translation of the coming journey. However, others possessed no or little prior knowledge of the intent of the Labyrinth's designer. For such people, the experience was somewhat confusing.
34. Many characters encountered on the paths played acoustic instruments (drums, didjeridu, violin, piano-accordion) their music blending with the throbbing electronic soundscapes created in the backstage area behind the dome. Beginning as soft background noises (as initiates started entering the Labyrinth), the volume and intensity of the music increased throughout the night, later culminating in a chaotic amplified onslaught (web site).
35. 'Doof' is colloquial for rave, a techno dance event traditionally held outside established club venues - often warehouses or the bush.
36 .Aspects of Tek Know are elaborated upon later. Trance Dance is discussed in Chapter's 7 and 8. The threat that this music and culture is perceived to hold for ConFest is also discussed in Chapter 8.
37. An annual kayak and canoe race.