Our demonstration permaculture site is a 10 acre property in Leongatha South, South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. We have been designing and establishing the site using permaculture design principles since 1994. We run residential permaculture design courses on the property.
Once a degraded dairy property, with overgrazed, compacted heavy clay soils, poor drainage, weeds and frosts, not to mention howling winds, the main problem was an excess of water. Using the permaculture addage "the problem is the solution" we developed extensive aquaculture systems to deal with the excess and turn it into a productive element of the property.
The site has been transformed. It now features vegetable gardens, greenhouse, integrated poultry system, young orchards, extensive aquaculture system (including chinampa ponds growing yabbies and fish). Thousands of trees have been planted for woodlots, windbreaks, fuel and shelter, native bush foods (including macadamia trees). We have built a mud brick classroom demonstrating passive solar design principles which doubles as WWOOF accommodation.
Our property from satellite photo taken
in 1994. A house in a degraded cow
paddock.
Our property from light plane taken
in 2001 shows the dramatic progress
of site implementation.
Southern Cross Permaculture Institute was awarded an environmental grant by the WWOOF network in 2001 to plant a woodlot on 3 acres for conservation and wildlife. An outline of the processes used to plant the woodlot is given here as well as photos documenting the growth of the trees since planting in April 2002.
For a more detailed view of the design of the property and early implementation visit our old website where you can take a virtual tour, press back to return to the current site.
Our Cob Oven Workshop was a great success. To check out photos of us building the oven, click here
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