26 Jul, 2007 | Education, People in Permaculture
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by Russ Grayson
The origins of permaculture can be traced to the book, ‘Permaculture One’, authored by David Holmgren and Bill Mollison in 1978.
After its release, David put his energy into developing his rural smallholding – Melliodora, at Hepburn, Victoria – into a model of permaculture landuse design and into developing his consultancy, Holmgren Design Services. Later, he started teaching the Permaculture Design Certificate there, which he continues to do.
Author of several books on permaculture, David has emerged over recent times as perhaps the leading commentator of the design system he helped create, a role accelerated by the release of ‘Permaculture – Pathways Beyond Sustainability’.
The book is a major thought piece regarded as the equivalent of Bill Mollison’s ‘Permaculture – A Designer’s Manual’ (1988). David’s public profile as a commentator on sustainability was improved by his 2006 tour with US peak oil campaigner, Richard Heinberg.
Also building his profile have been appearances on ABC television and radio, which have been enhanced by his considered, factual style of presentation. More about David: http://www.holmgren.com.au
26 Jul, 2007 | People in Permaculture
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by Russ Grayson
Steve Ward (left) was active in the early permaculture scene in Sydney in the 1980s.
For AASC – the Australian Association of Sustainable Communities – Steve, Russ, Fiona Campbell and others published ‘Evidently/Sustainability’, a press clipping service focusing on sustainability news. AASC was an early, national bioregional organisation.
Steve went on to publish ‘Village Voice’, a local newspaper in Bundeena/Mainanbar. He later published a newsletter for a community centre. An unorthodox thinker and innovator, Steve was characterised by an unusual sense of humour and spontaniety. He did his Permaculture Design Certificate at one of Bill Mollison’s early courses and attended the international permaculture convergence in New Zealand.
Steve is one of those early permaculture people that little is heard of today. He now lives with his family in Cronulla.
26 Jul, 2007 | Education, People in Permaculture
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by Russ Grayson
Residents of Crystal Waters Permaculture Village, Morag and Raymond teach permaculture and ecovillage design and work in environmental planning through their small business, SEED International. Morag has taught at Schumacher College in the UK.
In the early 1990s, the couple were among the crew that started Northey Street City Farm in Brisbane. Today, they are active with the Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network (www.communitygarden.org.au) and promote relocalisation, local food and local culture.
26 Jul, 2007 | People in Permaculture
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by Russ Grayson
Sydney resident, Damian Lynch, pioneered the ethical investment industry in Australia in the 1980s with his company, August Investments. At that time, the company had an office at the Permaculture Epicentre in Enmore. Damien set up Ecoforest Pty Ltd in the late 1990s, a forestry investment company with a mixed hardwood plantation in the Hunter region.
Damien was originally inspired by Bill Mollison and went on to complete a Permaculture Design Course (PDC). He taught the economics components of the Pacific Edge PDC in the late 1990s. Damien’s gift to permaculture and sustainability has been to show that we can all use our money towards sustainable ends.
26 Jul, 2007 | Education, People in Permaculture
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by Russ Grayson
Permaculture design teacher, development assistance worker, home gardener and relocalisation advocate, Rosemary Morrow lives in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.
Rosemary’s work in Cambodia and Vietnam has been the means by which she has enacted her Quaker philosophy. Rosemary has traveled widely in Australia to educate people in the permaculture design system and is author of ‘The Earth Users Guide To Permaculture’ (new edition 2006) as well as a trainer’s manual based on the first, 1993, edition of the book.
Rosemary is active in her local area where she promotes the virtues of localism.
26 Jul, 2007 | Education, People in Permaculture
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by Russ Grayson
Bill Mollison, co-founder with David Holmgren of the permaculture design system, first describing it in the 1978 book, ‘Permaculture One’.
‘Permaculture Two’ followed within a year (both Tagari Publishers). Bill, a Tasmanian from the Bass Strait coastal fishing village of Stanley, has had a chequered working life including stints as forester and fisherman. He later worked in scientific research in the environmental field and joined the University of Tasmania as senior tutor.
It was then that the fateful meeting with David Holmgren occurred. Bill left academia at age 50 to travel and teach the new design system, offering the first Permaculture Design Course in Tasmania before taking it to mainland Australia and, later, overseas. In the late-1980s Bill set up Tagari Farm near Tyalgum, in the Northern NSW subtropics, home to his Permaculture Institute. After some years he returned to his home island, Tasmania.
With Reny Slay, Bill published the still-in-print ‘Introduction to Permaculture’ and, in 1988, his opus, ‘Permaculture – A Designers Manual’, still widely regarded as the definitive work on the permaculture design system. ABC television broadcast a number of video productions in which Bill featured. The four-part ‘Global Gardener’ series of the mid-1990s popularised permaculture.
Bill’s biography was published as ‘Travels In Dreams’. Bill’s wit, humour and story telling has entertained many at the same time as he taught them.
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