Permaculture Feeds
Bill Mollison the Permaculture founder
Jul
Bill Mollison, the father of permaculture, an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that imitate the relationships found in natural ecologies. As a researcher, author, scientist and teacher, he inspired millions of people around the world to practice and apply permaculture principles.
In this article you will read:
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Bill Mollison’s childhood.
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Bill Mollison’s Early start with nature.
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Bill Mollison”s career path.
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Bill Mollison’ awards and achievements.
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Bill Mollison’ Books and writings.
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Bill Mollison’s childhood
Bill was born in 1928 in Stanley, Tasmania. At 14 he left school and worked as a trapper, fisherman, radio operator, skin-diver, forester and builder. Later he took a degree in psychology from the University of Tasmania and a diploma in social science from the University of Melbourne.
How was Bill Mollison’s Early start with nature and Permaculture?
In the 1960s Bill Mollison developed an interest in ecology. specifically the relationships between plants and animals. He went on to make significant contributions to the science of ecology and natural resource management including the founding of Permaculture with David Holmgren. He is also credited with developing the Keyline Design system of farming. this design was originally based on work by P. A. Yeomans. Throughout his life, he worked on dozens of projects related to environmental conservation and sustainable living from rainforest regeneration to research into edible snails.
Bill Mollison’s Career path till the founder of Permaculture
After teaching psychology for many years at some of Australia’s leading universities, Bill Mollison returned to his native, Tasmania. There he ran the postgraduate Environmental Psychology Unit at the University of Tasmania from 1976-1981. There he began developing his permaculture concept with one of his students David Holmgren. It was then that they put their heads together and began developing permaculture research sites to demonstrate their ideas for the world. The word permaculture comes from permanent agriculture as well as permanent culture.
Bill Mollison’s awards and achievements
In 1983 Mollison achieved the title of Doctorate from the University of Tasmania. Shortly thereafter he received an honorary doctorate degree. Only two years later he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award (alternative Nobel Prize) for developing and promoting theories and practices in permaculture design.
Mollison later became a member of Greenpeace, though he withdrew his support from Greenpeace because he believed that they were too centralized. Instead his work with permaculture seemed to better suit his beliefs about decentralization. He published Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual in 1988.
Bill Mollison’s Books and writings
In 1995 Bill received another high honor when he became an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to Permaculture design. These were some major accomplishments for someone who originally went into college to study marine biology. Towards the end of his life, Mollison lived out what remained with his family in Sisters Creek