Bill Mollison and the birth of permaculture
Bill Mollison has been called the “father” of permaculture, which is an integrated system of design encompassing not only agriculture, horticulture, architecture and ecology but also money management, land access strategies and legal systems for businesses and communities. The aim is to create systems that provide for their own needs, do not pollute and are sustainable. Conservation of soil, water and energy are central to permaculture, as are stability and diversity.
Mollison’s two early books, Permaculture One: A Perennial Agriculture for Human Settlements (with David Holmgren, 1978) and Permaculture Two: Practical Design for Town and Country in Permanent Agriculture (1979) sold over 100,000 copies and have been translated into eight languages. His later works include Permaculture – A Designer’s Manual (1988), Introduction to Permaculture (1991), and The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition (1993). Mollison’s writings have been widely disseminated, influencing both government and public understanding of sustainable design.
Establishment of the Permaculture Institute
In 1978, Mollison founded The Permaculture Institute in Tasmania. The main focus of the Institute is education. Since its inception, its certificated design courses have attracted more than 40,000 people, most of whom are now active in the practice or education of permaculture around the world. Independent permaculture institutes have been established globally, and the movement is linked by biannual international conferences.
Mollison consulted and taught extensively in Australia and abroad, working on village housing design in Brazil, polyculture systems in Hawaii, Fiji, and the Seychelles, and urban farming strategies in the UK and US. His influence reached various international projects, including arid land techniques and tropical systems.
Global impact of permaculture and lasting legacy
The Permaculture Institute spreads its work internationally by training local groups and supporting them through a Trust in Aid Fund. Other initiatives include the Earthbank Society, which promotes ethical investment, and the Tree Tithe Programme, which funds tree-planting projects worldwide. Mollison’s vision has fostered permaculture associations in countries across the globe, with many adopting permaculture as a key element in sustainable land-use practices.
In 1994, the Permaculture Academy was established to provide graduates with tertiary qualifications in permaculture. Mollison’s lasting impact is reflected in the global spread of permaculture as a philosophy and practical framework for sustainable living.
Mollison passed away in his native Tasmania on September 24, 2016, aged 88.
