David Holmgren and the Principles of Permaculture
"Design is a connection between things. It is not water, or a chicken, or the tree. It is how the water, the chicken, and the tree are connected." — David Holmgren
Permaculture began as a collaboration between Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s, but Holmgren’s later work gave the movement its systematic principles and enduring frameworks. His teaching emphasized that ecological design is not limited to farming but extends to culture, economy, and community life. Holmgren offered a set of principles that allow permaculture to be adapted across diverse climates, landscapes, and social contexts, making it a practical pathway toward sustainability and resilience.
David Holmgren (b. 1955) is an Australian environmental designer, writer, and teacher. As a graduate student under Mollison at the University of Tasmania, he co-developed the first articulation of permaculture in Permaculture One (1978). In his later work, especially Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability (2002), he outlined twelve design principles that have become the core of permaculture practice worldwide. Holmgren continues to teach and design from his property Melliodora in Victoria, which serves as a living example of permaculture in action.
Holmgren’s philosophy emphasizes permaculture as both a design science and a cultural ethic. His twelve principles include observing and interacting with natural systems, capturing and storing energy, producing no waste, valuing diversity, and creatively responding to change. Together, they create a framework that is adaptable, resilient, and grounded in ecological wisdom.
Core themes in Holmgren’s permaculture
Observation and Interaction: good design begins with careful attention to natural systems.
Energy and Resources: catch, store, and cycle energy within living systems.
Resilience through Diversity: ecosystems and communities thrive on variety and interconnection.
Produce No Waste: every output becomes a resource for another process.
Adaptation and Creativity: change is inevitable; design must respond flexibly.
Holmgren expanded permaculture beyond agriculture, applying it to urban design, local economies, and cultural resilience. His concept of “retrofit” emphasizes adapting existing systems rather than discarding them, making permaculture accessible in cities and suburbs as well as rural landscapes. Through writings, teaching, and demonstration projects, Holmgren has provided practical tools for communities to create regenerative futures.
Holmgren positions permaculture as a response to ecological limits and energy descent. He argues that the decline of fossil fuels and industrial systems requires cultural adaptation, and that permaculture offers design pathways for thriving within these constraints. His work reframes sustainability not as maintaining the status quo but as building new forms of abundance rooted in ecological ethics.
David Holmgren gave permaculture its enduring design language, making it a practice of resilience for both landscapes and societies. His teachings continue to guide those seeking to create sustainable cultures through observation, creativity, and ecological connection.
Resources & Further Reading
Permaculture One by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren
Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren
